Dreams Connected
by JHen
Summary: What do you do when you start to have dreams about someone you least expected and they are having dreams about you too? The only catch is that you are both having the exact same dream.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Back to School Dreaming 

A new year has begun at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. All students have moved back into their dormitories and the newly appointed Head Girl and Boy have moved into their new rooms, still within their old dormitories. The new Head Girl, who happens to be a Gryffindor, arrived to school later than the others, due to some family matters that needed to be attended to. She just settled down to start her mountain of homework when there was a knock at her door.

"Hermione, are you in there?" a small voice called from beyond the door. She looked up from her desk and admitted Ginny Weasley. Hermione smiled and gestured for Ginny to sit down. Hermione was glad to see Ginny, since she didn't get to see her on the school train.

"I was wondering when I was going to see you," Hermione told her with a smile. She offered Ginny a drink, which she poured with her wand. Hermione complemented on how much Ginny had grown since she had last seen her, which was at the end of last term. Ginny had grown at least four inches since then, now standing at 5'7". Her hair had gotten longer and much redder. Her cheek bones were higher and more distinctive; she had definitely looked much older. Ginny was now sixteen and had just started her sixth year at Hogwarts.

"You've grown over the summer too, Hermione. I'm sorry I didn't come to see you when you got here the other day. I've been busy and I thought I would give you time to unpack and get situated in your new room," Ginny told her. Hermione had grown a few inches, also standing at 5'7". Her hair was still bushy, but then again, she wouldn't be Hermione if it wasn't. She had filled herself out and had more curves than she did last year. Ginny figured that her being seventeen and in her final year at Hogwarts had something to do with that. When Ginny first saw Hermione, she knew that her brother would flip his lid when he saw her.

"You're starting to sound like me, Ginny. I'm not mad. I'll have plenty of time to see you. Come visit me here anytime you want to. So what's up? Is everything okay? How are your classes so far?" Hermione asked after she had taken a sip of her drink. Ginny nodded. Over the summer, Ginny had made a promise to herself that she was going to get her brother and Hermione together before they graduated from school. She knew that if they left school and they were not together, they never would be. Ginny knew how Hermione felt about him and she also knew how Ron felt about her.

"Have you seen Ron at all this term?" Ginny asker her with a sly smile. At the mention of Ron's name, Hermione's face turned a slight shade of red. She began to play with her hair so that Ginny would not see her blush. Hermione had, in fact, seen Ron since she arrived back to school. He was now roughly 6'5" and more muscular than he was at the end of last term; mainly because he worked out over the summer in order to stay in shape for Quidditch (he was the Keeper for the Gryffindor team). He had grown his hair long and he even had a goatee. Hermione definitely realized how cute Ron had become, and she knew that she wasn't the only one. As he walked through the corridors, she noticed other girls' heads turned to stare at him. She felt angry by it, but never said anything. _Why is Ginny asking me this? And why is she smiling like that?_

"Of course I have seen him, Ginny. We do have classes together. Why would you ask me a question like that?" she said quickly, trying to hide her red face. Ginny shrugged her shoulders and rose from the chair that she was sitting in.

"I just thought that I would come ask how you were and to see if you liked his new look, that's all. Good night, Hermione," she said with a wicked smile as she left the room. She closed the door behind her, leaving Hermione sitting on her bed with her mouth hanging open and a dumfounded expression on her face. After Ginny left, Hermione shut off her light and crawled into her new bed. She stared at the ceiling and she found herself thinking about Ron. _He is sooo cute. Why didn't I realize it before? Actually I did, but I don't think I can hide it anymore. I can't believe I'm thinking about Ron as more than a friend. _She was asleep within minutes.

MEANWHILE

Harry and Ron were in the room they shared with Dean, Seamus and Neville, but they were the only two awake. They were talking about their favorite sport: Quidditch.

"You are going to be great this year, Ron. You have built up a lot over the summer and that will be a huge advantage in our new game plan," Harry told him. Harry was shocked when he first saw Ron on the Hogwart's Express. Then again, Harry knew that he had changed quite a bit over the summer too. He had spent the summer traveling with Lupin. Harry had grown to be 5'10". He was still skinny, but he was solid muscle. His hair had gotten a little longer, which made Harry happy because his hair was much tamer than it used to be.

"You're gonna do great too, mate. That cup will have our names on it this year for sure. You'll be a great captain. Let's just hope you're not as crazy as Wood was," Ron told him. Harry nodded, thinking what he was going to say next. What Ron didn't know was that Harry had promised himself that he was going to get Ron and Hermione together before their last year at Hogwarts ended. He knew that if they didn't do it before then, it probably wouldn't happen at all. Harry knew how they felt about each other, and he decided to make them both realize it and get them to do something about it.

"I saw Hermione earlier. She looks good. She has definitely grown over the summer. What do you think, Ron?" Harry asked him with a smile on his face. Harry's words had a strange effect on Ron, though they both tried to act casual about it. Harry saw the look on Ron's face when he saw Hermione for the first time after she had come back to school. The only other time Harry had seen a look like that on Ron's face was when Fleur Delacour came to Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament during their fourth year. He didn't mention it to Ron at the time, but he knew that he would have to if he planned on getting the two of them together any time soon.

"I've seen her if that's what you mean. She's only in just about every one of my classes, you git. And yes, she has grown up since last year," Ron told him. Harry nodded, but didn't say anything. "Why do you ask?" he asked tentatively. Harry shrugged his shoulders and got into his bed.

"I was just surprised at how much older she looked and was wondering what you thought about it, that's all. Good night, mate," he said as he closed the curtains on his four-poster bed. Ron just stared at Harry's closed curtains with his mouth hanging open. He crawled into his own bed and stared at the ceiling. He found his thoughts wandering to Hermione. _She's so beautiful. I can't believe that I'm thinking about her as more than a friend. I just can't help myself. If only I could tell her how I really felt. _He drifted off to sleep within minutes.

_His lips softly kissed her neck while his hands caressed her body. The feeling inside was that of no other she had felt before. She let herself give in to him, her body moving with his. This was something that she never thought would happen. She couldn't believe that this was happening. Then, his lips began to move along her naked body. She allowed him to do so… it felt so good. This was the best thing that had ever happened to her, and she loved it. Everything was going so well. _

Hermione woke up suddenly. She sat up in her bed panting. It was just a dream. She couldn't believe that she had a dream like _that_. That morning at breakfast, she told Ginny about it. It was a little weird to tell her since it was about her brother, but she understood. She giggled as she heard about the dream.

"I can't believe you had a dream about _that,_" Ginny said with a slight giggle. "Does this mean that you like my brother?" she asked slyly. Ginny knew that Hermione liked Ron, but she had never actually admitted. Ginny couldn't wait for the day when Hermione finally admitted it. Unfortunately, she didn't get an answer to her question because Harry and Ron had just sat down across from them. Hermione blushed and told Ginny that they would talk about it later. After breakfast, they all set out for their classes. Hermione went off for her Arithmancy then Muggle Studies classes while the boys had Double Divination. This gave her some time to think about an answer to Ginny's question. She met up with them in the Great Hall for lunch and the three of them walked down to Hagrid's for Care of Magical Creatures. They ended their day of classes with Transfiguration. After dinner, she went straight to her room to talk with Ginny about what they had started talking about at breakfast. Ron had grown suspicious of Hermione's behavior since breakfast.

"Is it me or have you notice that Hermione has been a bit off today?" Ron asked Harry as they sat down at one of the tables in the common room to start their Divination homework. Harry nodded, but didn't say anything. "I wonder what's the matter with her," he said as he looked in the direction of the staircase.

"Why don't you go ask her? I'm sure she'll tell you if you did," Harry told him plainly, with a slight smile on his face. Ron sat there, as if he was trying to decide if he would go talk to her or not. He decided not to since he didn't want it turning into an argument, which usually happened. Instead, the two of them sat there and did their work. Ron groaned over the amount of work Professor Trelawney had given them.

MEANWHILE

Hermione and Ginny were talking more about the dream that Hermione had. Ginny said that she knew, or thought she knew, what it meant.

"It's hard to believe that you are the smartest girl at Hogwarts, Hermione. It's totally obvious that you like my brother. Especially if you are having dreams about him where you two are _doing stuff_. You must have an attraction or some sort of feelings for him," Ginny told her as she stifled a giggled.

"But how can that be? We always fight and we can't ever agree on anything," Hermione told her defensively, but blushing as she said it. Ginny told her that it is very possible for two people who have absolutely nothing in common and who argue all the time to still be attracted to each other. Hermione was unsure about all of this. She blushed at the thought of her and Ron together. _Why am I feeling like this? _She decided to leave it there for the night and go to sleep. Ginny left and went back down to the common room to find only Harry sitting by the fire.

"Where's Ron?" she asked as she sat down in the chair across from him. She avoided his eyes; she found it hard to look him in the eye since she has had a crush on him since the day they met. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that he was staring at her, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him. She blushed slightly and stared deeper into the fire. Harry couldn't help but stare at Ginny. Ever since they had come back to Hogwarts, he couldn't help but notice how much Ginny had changed. _She has definitely gotten taller since the last time I saw her. Her hair was different; no doubt redder and a bit longer than it was last year. She has developed very nicely as a young woman._ Harry stopped himself there, he was about to think of Ginny as more than just his best friend's little sister and he couldn't do that. Yet he couldn't help himself. When he first saw her on the train, he had, for the first time, become aware of how beautiful she really was. He found himself staring at her whenever he saw her. He even found himself thinking about her and wishing that he could see her when she wasn't around. He then realized that he had been staring at her for quite some time and decided to go back to the book he was reading. "Harry, have you seen my brother?" she asked him again after he didn't answer her the first time.

"What? Oh, sorry. He went to bed," he said rather quickly as he blushed slightly. "Hey Ginny, what's the matter with Hermione? Ron thinks she's been acting weird today." She looked at him, probably for the first time in a long time. Their eyes met and neither of them wanting to look away. Ginny then realized that she was staring _into _his eyes and looked away so he wouldn't see her blush.

"Nothing's wrong with her. We were just catching up on some things since we didn't see each other over the summer," she told him as she got up. "I'm going to bed. Night, Harry," she said as she went up the staircase to the girl's dormitory. Harry didn't say anything. He just stared after her. After she had gone, he didn't feel like reading anymore. He closed his book and went to his room. When he got there, he laid on his bed looking at the ceiling. He found himself thinking about Ginny. He couldn't believe that he, Harry Potter, was actually daydreaming (even though it was nighttime) about Ginny Weasley. Not too soon after, he was fast asleep.

During the night, Hermione had the same dream again. Only this time, things had gone a little farther than the previous night. She got out of bed and went down to the common room. Unbeknownst to her, someone else was having the exact same dream that she was. Moments later, Ron came downstairs. His hair was tousled and he was wearing a white T-shirt with holes in it and a pair of grey boxer shorts. They both blushed at the fact that he was wearing his underwear.

"Sorry. I didn't think anyone else was up now," he said as he slumped down in the chair across from her. She nodded, but didn't say anything. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. "What are you doing up this late? You couldn't sleep either?" he asked. She shifted uneasily in her chair, not knowing what to say.

"No. Been having some weird dreams lately," she told him in a small voice. He smiled sheepishly at her, but didn't say anything. She looked at him, wishing that she could tell him what her dreams were about, but couldn't muster the courage to do so. He yawned in his chair and stretched his arms back. When he did this, she could see the muscles in his arms, shoulders and chest bulge against his shirt. _He looks so good._ When he looked at her, she looked away, realizing that she had been staring at him. "What are you doing up now?" she asked him to break the silence.

"Same as you. Had a weird dream," he told her. She noticed that his ears went slightly pink, which usually happened when he was either mad or nervous about something.

"Anything I can help you with?"

"Nah. Nothing big."

"Oh. OK.

"Anything _I _can help _you _with?" he asked, grinning slightly as she blushed to his question.

"Not really," she told him. She decided that it would be better if she went back to her room. She said good night and left him sitting alone in the common room. No sooner had she left, Harry appeared. He sat down next to Ron and asked him why he was up so late.

"I just had a really weird dream… about Hermione," he told Harry. Harry raised an eyebrow and asked Ron to tell him what the dream was about. When Ron finished his story, Harry was grinning. "What's the grin for, mate?" he asked Harry, who couldn't stop grinning.

"Isn't it obvious, Ron? You like her. You always have. You must have admitted it to yourself by now, but I just can't believe that it has taken you seven years to finally admit it out loud. All those bludgers must have finally knocked some sense into you," he told him. Ron just shrugged, but wouldn't look Harry in the face. He knew he was right, but he wouldn't tell him so. Ron stood up and mumbled something that sounded like he was going to bed and left the common room. When he got into bed, he just laid there thinking about what Harry had said. He's known he's liked Hermione for a while; ever since their fourth year when she went to the Yule Ball with _him_. He was so mad about that. At the time, he didn't understand why he was so upset, but he finally figured it out. Then he started to think about her. He thought of how odd she had been acting earlier that day and how she blushed when he came into the common room earlier. _Was I imagining the fact that she couldn't bring herself look me in the eye? Was I imagining that she was staring at me when we were alone in the common room together? _He shook himself back to reality and then realized that he really _was_ imagining things. He knew that there was no way that she would ever like him. He rolled over and closed his eyes. All he saw was her face. He rolled onto his back wide awake. _What is the matter with me? Why am I constantly thinking about Hermione? I know I like her, but I didn't think I liked her that much. _With those last thoughts, he drifted into a deep sleep. While he slept, he dreamed of Hermione.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Going Home

_He knocked on her door and opened it after she had called for him to come in. When he walked in, she was sitting on her bed wearing only her bath robe while she brushed her wet hair. She hadn't realized that it was him who had knocked on her door. Remembering that she was only in her bath robe, she put her brush down on her bed and tightened the belt around her waist, blushing slightly. She asked him what he needed, but he just stared at her hungrily. She felt rather self-conscious by the way he was staring at her, but tried not to show it. He bit his lip and then he walked over to her. Before she knew what was happening, he had her in a tight embrace and he kissed her long and hard on the mouth. She gasped when he let go, for that was not what she had expected. She blushed, but that only made him want her more. He then slipped his hand under her robe and lifted her up so that they were at eye level. He kissed her again, only this time it was more passionate and she let herself go with it. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him even closer to her. He then laid her on the bed and began kissing her neck. His hands caressed her legs, moving his hands up past her knee. Before she knew what she was doing, she had undone his belt and unzipped his pants. He looked up at her with a smile, just to make sure that she was sure about it. She smiled mischievously at him and then dropped his boxers. He knew that that meant yes. He brought his hands up to the knot in her belt and undid it with ease. He spread apart her robe to reveal her bare body. She looked so soft and fragile, he was almost afraid to touch her. He then realized that she was now playing with his manliness. He leaned down and kissed her left breast. He heard her moan as he touched her. Her hands were now on his back. He brought himself closer to her inner thighs, but paused and waited to see if she would tell him no. She didn't stop him, so he continued. He felt himself enter her and it was like nothing that he had ever felt before. He felt a surge of excitement and pleasure rush over him at the same time. He went in further and saw her eyes tighten in pain. He began to pull out, but she stopped him. She told him that it was her first time, but that she wanted to do it. He assured her that it was his first time too, which actually surprised her. He bent down and kissed her right breast as he went deeper into her. Her body moved with his. Although it was painful, she had never felt anything so pleasurable. He began to kiss her all over (or at least in the places he could reach since he was a whole foot taller than she was). He gave her one last hard thrust and she gasped._

Hermione's eyes snapped open. She sat up in bed, feeling as if she had just gotten her period. She went to the bathroom to check, but found it difficult to walk because of the pain she was experiencing. She found nothing and went back to her room. As she reentered the girl's dormitory, Ron was coming down the stairs to go to the bathroom. He had woken up to a mess in his bed. He was ashamed of himself because he had not done that since he was twelve. He changed his sheets quietly so that he wouldn't wake anyone up. He crawled into his bed, realizing what had happened. _I can't believe I did that. I haven't done that in six years. I can't believe I was dreaming of Hermione and that happened._

The next morning, everything began to get weird. On the way to breakfast, Ron told Harry about what had happened the night before. Harry wanted to laugh, but stifled it because of the look on Ron's face. Harry noticed that Ron's ears were turning red, so he knew that he shouldn't laugh at him.

"I don't know what to tell ya, mate," he told Ron as they neared the Great Hall. The corridors were almost deserted since it was Saturday morning. As they were about to turn the corner, they overheard a girl's voice coming from inside an empty classroom. They both recognized the voices as Ginny's, but something told them that they should not announce their presence at that time. They waited and listened.

"-was some dream, Hermione." They heard Ginny say in a serious tone.

"I can't believe it. I even woke up with pains in my stomach. It was like it really happened. What am I going to do?" They heard Hermione say to Ginny. Then they heard soft sobs, which told them that Hermione had started crying. Harry and Ron looked at each other, Ron raised his eyebrows and Harry shrugged his shoulders. What came next was too much for either of them to hear.

"Why don't you just go talk to my brother about it, Hermione? I think he has a right to know. Who knows, it could turn out all right in the end." With those words, Ron looked as if he was going to faint. Harry quickly shoved his hand over Ron's mouth, for he feared that Ron would give away their presence. Harry mouthed to him that they should leave, and they did just that. As they left, an owl swooped in the window and dropped a letter into Hermione's hands. They didn't stop or turn around until they were safely in the common room.

"Did we hear what I think we just heard?" Harry asked Ron as they sat down by the fire. Ron didn't say anything. His face was now a deep shade of red, but he had no expression on his face. _I wonder what Ginny meant when she told Hermione to talk to 'her brother.' Was I the brother she was talking about? Did Hermione dream about me?_ _What the bloody hell is going on? What just happened?_ All of these thoughts were running through his head. He was not sure as to what was going on. A few moments later, Hermione came running through the portal hole and went straight to the girl's dormitory with Ginny right behind her. Harry and Ron were confused, since Hermione didn't say anything to either of them as she went past them. Moments later, Hermione had come back down the stairs, only this time with a small bag, and went right back out the portal hole. Ginny returned to the common room, where two very confused men were waiting for her.

"What's the matter with her?" Ron asked in a small voice. He couldn't forget about the conversation he had overheard a little while ago, but he was putting it in the back of his mind for the moment so that he would be able to find out what was wrong with Hermione.

"Hermione had just received a letter from her father saying that her mum has taken ill. He told her not to come home, but she feels that she needs to be there," she told them in a serious tone.

"Does this have something to do with why she was unable to come to school with everyone else? When is she coming back?" Harry asked her.

"I think it does, but I don't know when she's coming back. Hermione told me that she would send me updates and that she wanted me to send her school work to her in return. I am going to tell Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore, although they both probably know by now. See you guys later," she told them as she left the common room. Ron and Harry sat there, unable to utter a word. Ron looked really upset, so Harry decided not to bother him. The two of them just sat there for a while, neither of them opting to say anything.

During the next week, there was no news from Hermione and Ron was not taking it well. Harry knew that Ron was upset at the fact that she was not here and tried to take his mind off of her. He scheduled Quidditch practices every night, but it didn't work. Hermione's absence was taking its toll on Ron's ability to be Keeper. Harry only hoped that Hermione would return before the first match of the season, or they would lose miserably.

On Friday morning, an owl dropped a letter into Ron's lap, although it was addressed to both him and Harry. He immediately tore it open when he recognized Hermione's handwriting. Ron unfolded the letter and Harry leaned in closer so that he would be able to read it as well.

_ i Dear Ron and Harry,_

_Everything is fine here. My mum is feeling loads better. I wanted to tell you both, and please tell Ginny as well, that I will be coming back to school next week. I would come sooner, but my mum is recovering slowly. I have already sent an owl to Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore telling them when I shall be returning. I hope all is going well with you both. I do hope that you have been keeping up with your studies while I've been away. I am sorry that I did not tell you what was happening before I left, but I was much too upset. Please forgive me. I hope you both have been practicing for the first match of the season. If I find out that we don't win, I will be very upset with you both. Take care and best wishes this weekend for the match._

_Love from_

_Hermione /i _

Harry glanced at Ron, who was looking disappointed and excited at the same time. Harry knew that Ron was happy that she was coming back soon, but that he was upset because she would not be at the first Quidditch match. Harry groaned at the thought of how Ron was going to perform at the game, but kept his composure. He didn't want Ron to be upset. After Double Potions, they were both free for the rest of the day.

"Want to go practice for tomorrow's game, Ron?" Harry asked him as they walked into the common room. Ron shook his head and slumped into one of the chairs at a table. He opened his bag and pulled out some books.

"I think I'm gonna do some homework. I've been putting it off and I need to get some of it done." Harry looked shocked at what Ron had just said. Harry knew that the only reason he was doing his homework now was because of what Hermione wrote in her letter. He didn't say anything else and decided to do his homework as well. He had been putting it off all week and since Ron was doing his, Harry figured that he might as well start what he had. Both of them worked for a couple of hours without a word. Then Ginny came into the common room and plopped herself down in the nearest chair.

"Have you heard from Hermione?" she asked. Ron bent his head lower over his parchment, not wanting her to see the sullen expression on his face. Harry nodded and quietly told Ginny what Hermione's letter had said. Not long after she heard the news, Ginny bade them farewell and left the common room. Ginny decided to go to the Owlery to send a letter to Hermione.

i _Dear Hermione,_

_Harry just told me what your letter said. I am so glad that your mum is doing better. I can't wait to see you next week. I wish you were coming back sooner. Ron and Harry are upset at the fact that you are not going to be at their first Quidditch match. Ron looked even more upset than Harry did. He's been out of it all week. He's actually doing his homework at this very moment. I've never seen him do his homework during the day… it's amazing. Well, come back as soon as you can. Wish your parents well for me._

_Ginny /i _

Ginny took one of the school barn owls off of their perch and tied the letter to its leg. She told it to bring the owl straight to Hermione and to make sure that they bring back a response as soon as possible. After the owl disappeared from sight, Ginny went back to the common room. Ron and Harry were still doing their homework. She sat down in one of the comfy armchairs and began to read a book of Muggle poetry that her dad had given her. After a couple of hours, Ginny asked the boys of they wanted to go down to the Great Hall for dinner. Reminded of how hungry he was, Harry got up to join Ginny. They begged Ron to join them, who reluctantly abandoned his work and followed them. As they were passing an open window, the school owl that Ginny had used to send Hermione her letter appeared. Ginny took the letter before Ron and/or Harry could see who it was from. She told them that it was from her dad so they didn't question it. Once they got to the Great Hall, Ginny carefully opened the response from Hermione.

i _Dear Ginny,_

_I can't believe that Ron and Harry were doing their homework all day today. That's wonderful. I guess they were afraid of me yelling at them when I returned. I have a secret for you, but you can NOT tell Harry or Ron. I will be attending the Quidditch match tomorrow afternoon. I was planning on it being a surprise. My mum is doing loads better and she told me to go back to school. She knows how much I love to watch the boys play Quidditch and she didn't want me to miss their first match. I will be arriving just in time to see the match. Please save me a seat and I will meet you in the stands._

_Love from_

_Hermione /i _

Ginny tried her best to suppress the smile on her face. _Ron is going to be so excited when he sees her. If only I could get a picture of his face._ Then it came to her. _Colin!_ She would ask him to bring his camera to the match so that she could take his picture. She immediately got up and walked over to where Colin was sitting along the Gryffindor table. She didn't tell him that Hermione was coming back early, but she asked him to sit with her at the match and to bring his camera. He agreed, but stopped asking her why after she repeatedly told him that she was not free to tell him. After dinner, Ron resumed his homework. He was forced to stop when Harry told him that he needed to get some rest for the game tomorrow. Ron didn't want to, but he knew that Harry wouldn't leave him alone if he didn't go to sleep. Once in bed, Ron laid there for a while, listening to Neville's light snores. He desperately wished that Hermione would be there tomorrow, but he knew that she wouldn't be. He eventually fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Welcome BackJoining Forces

The next morning, Ron woke up feeling very depressed. He dreaded the game because he didn't feel that he would do a good job. He couldn't eat at breakfast, even though Harry tried to force food down his throat. Ginny appeared looking extremely excited about the match. She persuaded Ron to have a couple of slices of toast before they set out for the locker room. Ginny waited by the entrance doors for Hermione to appear. Sure enough, she walked through the doors with her bag in hand. She dashed up to her room to drop off her bag before joining Ginny and Colin in the stands. She questioned the camera, but Ginny told her not to worry about it. Ginny then leaned into Colin's ear and told him to focus on her brother after they came out. Ginny told Colin to start taking pictures of Ron if he looked in their direction. All though he was unsure as to why this was necessary; he only nodded and did what she asked him to do.

After a couple of minutes, the seven Gryffindor and Slytherin players were on their broom and in the air. Not long after that, Ginny heard Colin's camera snapping away. She looked up to see her brother staring in their direction. His face was crimson, but he had a huge smile on his face. Hermione waved furiously at him. Harry noticed Ron's face and flew over to see if he was okay. When he saw what Ron was staring at, he waved at Hermione. Harry told Ron to concentrate on the game, now that Hermione was here and Ron was feeling much better. About five minutes later, Gryffindor was up fifty to zero. Ron was doing great. About five minutes after that, Harry caught the Golden Snitch and the game was over. Hermione and Ginny waited for them outside of the locker room to give them her congratulations. When they walked out, Ron picked her up into a hug. He hugged her so tightly, that she didn't know what to do or think. They had never shared any real physical contact before, at least not like this. When he put her down, his face was slightly red, realizing what he had just done. They both moved away from each other, blushing furiously. Both Ginny and Harry were smiling broadly at the two of them. Hermione turned and gave Harry a hug after Ron had stepped away.

"You both did an excellent job. Ron, you were great. So were you Harry," she told them.

"Thanks, Herm. What are you doing here? I thought you said that you wouldn't be here until next week," Harry asked her as the four of then set off towards the castle.

"Well, I wasn't going to, but my mum was doing loads better and she told me that she wanted me to be here for the match. She knows how much I enjoy watching you guys play. Plus I received word that I was gravely missed here," she said as she looked at Ginny, who looked away and turned a laugh into a cough. Harry caught on and decided that he needed to speak with Ginny for a moment.

"What are you up to, Miss Weasley?" he asked her once Hermione and Ron were out of ear shot. She gave him a look as if she had no idea what he was talking about. "I know you sent a letter to Hermione telling her to come back early. My only question is why?" he asked her.

"I made a promise to myself this summer that I was going to make sure that Ron was happy. I knew that the only way to do this is to bring him together with the one that he loves. I know that I can't trust him to do it himself, so I have decided to step in and do it for him," she told him in a matter-of-fact tone. He looked at her in disbelief. _Did she really just say that? I can't believe that we both decided to do the exact same thing? I think we should join forces on this one._

"Well Miss Weasley, I too have made it a personal goal to get your brother and Hermione together before graduation. I also think that it will be much easier if we worked together on this. But first, we must compare notes. Let's get back to the castle and have lunch. Then maybe we can discuss this further," he told her as they started to walk towards Ron and Hermione. They were both laughing as they rejoined Ron and Hermione, who were both looking at the two of them with confused looks on their faces.

After an excellent lunch, the four of them found themselves back in the common room. Hermione sat down at one table to begin her work; she had a lot of catching up to do. Ron also sat down to finish the work that he had been doing the day before. Harry and Ginny were sitting by the fire talking in hushed voices, comparing their notes on the situation. Before they got started, there was something that Harry needed to know. He decided to ask Ginny about what he and Ron had accidentally overheard her and Hermione talking about before Hermione had left to be with her mom.

"Ginny, I have a question. The day that Hermione left to go to her parents' house, Ron and I accidentally overheard the two of you talking. What was that about?" he asked her. Her eyes grew wide and she let a small gasp escape from her lips before it turned into a smile. She took a deep breath and began to explain.

"Hermione has been having _indecent_ dreams recently. The first one wasn't that bad, but they have been getting worse. They have all been about Ron and the two of them have been doing _stuff_ together. I promised her that I wouldn't say anything, especially to the two of you. You cannot tell Ron about them. Not yet, anyway," she told him as she looked up to see if either Hermione or Ron had heard her. Harry smiled and tried not to laugh. Ginny saw his face and told him that it wasn't funny.

"I'm not laughing at the fact that Hermione is having sexual dreams about Ron. It's funny because he's been having them too," he told her in a low voice. Her eyes widened and a smile crept onto her face. He began to tell her about the most recent dream Ron had told him, which was the one from the night before Hermione went home. Ginny was amazed at this. She told Harry that Hermione had the exact same dream that Ron did. They both laughed loudly, unable to control themselves by the information that they both had just learned from the other. Ron and Hermione looked up from their work to see Harry and Ginny laughing. Hermione shrugged and went back to her work. Ron, however, looked puzzled. He had never seen Harry and Ginny carry on a conversation before, let alone laugh with each other the way they were. He shook it off and returned to his work. He soon found himself looking at Hermione. _I love the way she squints her eyes and wrinkles her nose when she is thinking._ He quickly looked back at his work when she glanced at him. He didn't want her to think that he was staring at him. _Was he just staring at me? No way. Why would he be staring at me? _She looked back down at her essay on goblin rebellions for Professor Binns and decided that she had done enough for one night. She gathered her things and brought them up to her room. Ginny followed her, desperately needing to talk to her. Once she had gone, Harry sat down in the chair that Hermione had just vacated and looked at Ron, who seemed rather disappointed.

"You okay, mate? You looked depressed." Harry told him. Ron just shrugged and continued the essay he was writing. "What's bothering you? Tell me, maybe I can help," he tried again. This time, Ron sat back on is chair and let out a sigh.

"I don't know what's wrong with me, Harry. I keep thinking about Hermione. I don't know why, but I think about her more now than I ever did. I can't keep the visions from my dreams out of my head. Every time I see her, I wish that my dreams were true. I wish that the parts where we are together were real, not necessarily the ones where we are _doing things,_" he told him in a low voice, afraid that anyone else in the common room would hear him. Harry just looked at him, wishing that he could tell Ron what Ginny had told him. He knew that he couldn't do that just yet.

"Have you ever thought about telling her how you feel? You never know, she may feel the same way you do." Harry told him without sounding as if he already knew that it was true. Ron looked at him with a painful look.

"Why bother? There would be no point for me to tell her how I feel about her because she would just laugh at me and then I would be humiliated. Plus, she would never want to go out with me anyway. Why would she want to be with me when she could have her pick of all the other gits in school? I don't want to mess up what we already have. I'll just keep her as my friend instead of not having her at all," Ron said as he started to get up from the table. He told Harry that he was going to bed and that he would see him in the morning. Harry just sat there, wishing that he could just scream at Ron and tell him the truth. _This is definitely something to tell Ginny about._

MEANWHILE

"What's up, Ginny?" Hermione asked as Ginny followed her into her room. Ginny sat down on the chair and cleared her throat.

"Hermione, can I ask you something? There seems to be something troubling you and I was wondering if it had something to do with my brother. Would you tell me if it did?" she asked with her eyebrows raised, waiting for an answer. Hermione sighed and looked away from Ginny so she couldn't see the tears that were beginning to form in her eyes.

"Actually, there is something that is bothering me. It's these dreams. I can't keep the visions of Ron and me out of my head. Every time I close my eyes, even if I'm not sleeping, I see the two of us together. I don't know why this is happening to me, but I want it to stop." she told her, trying to fight off the tears.

"Hermione, why don't you talk to Ron about it? Tell him how you feel. Who knows, he may even feel the same way." Ginny told her, trying to make it seem as if she knew no more than that.

"Yeah right, Ginny. He would only laugh at me. Why would he want me, the know-it-all bookworm, when he could have any girl in school? Every girl in school has noticed how cute your brother is, so why would he choose me? I'll just take what I can get from him and that's no more than his friendship," she said, now starting to sob quietly. Ginny felt so sorry for Hermione. She so wanted to tell her the truth, but she knew that she couldn't do it yet. Ginny told her goodnight and went back to the common room to find Harry sitting by the fire, waiting for her.

"You won't believe what I just found out," they both began at the same time. They both looked at each other and laughed. Harry told her to go first. She told him about the conversation that she just had with Hermione in her room. Harry looked at her in disbelief. He couldn't believe his ears. He told her that Ron had just told him the same thing.

"These two are more perfect for each other than I thought," she told him with a laugh. He smiled at her and nodded in agreement. _I love the way she laughs. I love how her eyes light up when she laughs._

"I think I will go to bed now. We will resume our 'project' tomorrow, ok?" he said to her as he got up. She nodded in agreement and they both went to bed.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I Love You

_His lips felt soft against hers as they kissed each other passionately. She ran her hands through his hair, which made him moan into her mouth. He ran his fingers gently up her back and then through her hair. He began to kiss her neck softly and she let out a soft moan of pleasure. She began to kiss his neck. "I love you, Ron." "I love you too, Hermione."_

Ran sat up in bed, and found himself and his entire bed soaked with sweat. Then he realized what he had just dreamed about. _Did I tell her that I loved her? Did she tell me that she loves me? What the bloody hell is going on?_ Ron got out of bed and made his way to the common room. Hearing Ron leave, Harry got up to follow him. He found Ron sitting on the sofa, staring into the fire.

"What's the matter, Ron?" Harry asked as he sat down in the chair next to Ron. Ron looked at him and began to tell him about the dream he just had. He didn't see Hermione standing at the bottom the stairs as she listened to what Ron was telling Harry. She could not believe her hears. She quickly turned around and flew up the stairs. Ron turned around only to see bushy brown hair running up the stairs. He was mortified. _Did she just hear what I told Harry? Great! Now she won't talk to me ever again. Why is this happening to me?_

"Do you think she heard what I said?" Harry just looked at him, not knowing what to say. He knew that Hermione had overheard what Ron had said, and now he feared that she would never talk to or look at Ron again. Ron got up and went back to his room. _Nice job, Weasley. She'll never talk to you again._ He changed his sheets and laid on his bed, thinking about what had just happened.

MEANWHILE

Hermione ran into her room and flung herself onto her bed. She began to cry. _I can't believe that he dreamed all of that. I had the exact same dream._ She quickly got off of her bed and ran into Ginny's room. She asked Ginny to come to her room because she had to talk to her about something very important. Once the two of them were seated, she told Ginny what she had overheard Ron telling Harry.

"Merlin's beard, 'Mione! You actually heard Ron tell Harry all of this?" Ginny was happy about this because now it would make hers and Harry's job easier. It was almost as if Ron had just told Hermione that he fancied her. Hermione didn't look as thrilled as Ginny would have thought. "What's the matter? I thought that this would be a good thing." Ginny said to an upset Hermione.

"Ginny, you have no idea why I am so upset, do you?" Ginny shook her head. "I had a dream about Ron too. And from what I heard him tell Harry it was the same exact one. I don't understand what is going on," she told Ginny as she started to cry softly. Ginny tried her best to comfort her. Ginny knew that she would have to talk to Harry about this. Hermione finally figured out that she and Ron were having similar dreams… and it was freaking Hermione out. _This is not a good thing. I hope there is a way for me and Harry to fix this one._

"'Mione, did Ron or Harry see you down in the common room?" Hermione looked up at her and shook her head. "Then don't worry about it. Only you and I know that you two had the same dream. Just act naturally about it. It was _only_ a dream after all. Don't make something out of it until you have to. Is it worth ruining your friendship with Ron?" Hermione looked at Ginny and then began to think about what she had said.

"I guess your right, Ginny. I'll just pretend that I never went down to the common room and heard what he said… at least when he's around. I don't want to ruin my friendship with Ron over this. His friendship is worth too much to me." Hermione told her with a slight smile. Ginny smiled at her and then left to go to bed. Instead of going to bed, Ginny went to the common room to see if Harry was still there. She found him sitting in the chair near the fire.

"I have to talk to you," she told him and she plopped herself onto the sofa next to him. Harry looked at her with raised eyebrows. She began to tell him what Hermione had told her and what she had told Hermione about forgetting about it. Harry listened closely, and started to think about what to do.

"I'm going to tell Ron about all of this," he said abruptly. She looked at him with wide eyes.

"You can't do that, Harry. I didn't tell Hermione anything. It wouldn't be fair," she told him sternly.

"But Ginny, Hermione knows that they have been dream sharing. I think-."

"Hermione only knows that she and Ron shared the one dream that they both had tonight. She doesn't know of any of the other ones and that is how it will stay for now." She told him. Harry looked at her and then finally agreed with her. "I think we should go to bed. Before you do, make sure you tell Ron not to get all worried about seeing or talking to Hermione. Make sure he knows that it's all okay and that there is no need to get all bent out of shape over it. Night Harry," she told him as she walked up the stairs. Harry climbed the stairs and entered his room. He found Ron lying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

"Where were you?" Ron asked as Harry climbed into his bed. "What were you talking to Ginny about at this time of night?" he asked him after Harry had told him that he was talking to Ginny in he common room.

"She came downstairs right after you left, complaining that Hermione had woken her up out of a dead sleep. She told me that Hermione said that she overheard you talking to me." Ron scowled. "Ginny told me that Hermione is okay with it. She knows that it's just a dream and she's not upset or angry with you because of it. Ginny told me that there is no reason why things shouldn't stay normal between the two of you." Ron was looking a little better, but he was still clearly upset about the whole situation.

"Yeah… normal. Let's just hope that Hermione doesn't find out that, even though it was a dream, I really _do_ love her," he said somberly as he rolled away from Harry. Harry just looked at his friend lying there, and couldn't help but feel bad. He thought about how he was going to keep things normal between them. He drifted off to sleep with a few ideas running through his mind.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Hearing Voices

Over the next few weeks, everything was fine. Both Ron and Hermione were acting as if nothing had happened. Neither Ron nor Hermione had any more dream sharing since that night. Sometimes, Hermione would think about the dream and how they both had had the same one, but she usually just shrugged it off. Ginny had convinced Hermione that it was just a coincidence. Unfortunately, this charade would not last much longer.

During Divination (Hermione was in Arithmancy), something happened to Ron that would stay with him forever. While he was listening to Professor Trelawney drone on about something that he didn't care about, a voice came into his head. This voice was not his own, nor one that he had ever heard before. The voice was soft and silky, but firm at the same time.

"What you seek can only be found in your one and only…" the voice broke off without finishing the sentence, but Ron heard enough. Ron's eyes went wide. Harry noticed this and asked him what was wrong. Without answering him, Ron gathered his things and left the room. The entire class watched him, but no one spoke. Harry quickly scooped up his things and went after Ron. He finally caught up with him in the Grand Stairwell.

"Ron, what's the matter? Are you okay?" Harry asked him after he caught his breath. Ron said nothing at first, he just kept walking. Finally, Harry grabbed his arm and spun him around to face him. "What's the matter with you? What happened back there? Are you okay?" Ron just stared at him.

"I heard something… in my head. I can't explain it. It was a voice I had never heard before."

"What did it ay?"

"It said 'what you seek can only be found in your one and only…'" Harry waited for him to finish.

"You're one and only what?" he asked with baited breath.

"That's it. That's all it said. There was nothing else." Ron told him. Harry noticed that Ron was beginning to shake.

"Let's go back to the common room and see if we can figure this out." Harry told him. The two of them set off towards the Gryffindor Common Room. When they arrived, they found Hermione and Ginny sitting on the sofa in front of the fire talking.

"What are you doing here?" Ginny and Ron asked in unison.

"Aren't you supposed to be in Divination?" Ginny asked the two of them.

"'Mione, aren't you supposed to be in Arithmancy?" Harry asked her. Up until this point, Hermione had remained silent and hadn't looked at anyone. When Harry asked his question, Ginny looked at Hermione. "What's going on? Hermione, are you okay?" She nodded her head, but didn't say anything. He could see that her eyes were red and puffy, which meant that she had been crying. Ron was looking at her with interest, mainly because he was wondering why she wasn't in class. She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, but still said nothing. Ron looked away from her and headed for the stairs. He mumbled to them that he would see them at dinner. Hermione stared after him, not wanting him to go. Harry knew what was bothering Ron so he followed him so that they could talk about what had happened a little while ago. When he entered their room, he found Ron lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Harry sat on his bed and looked over at Ron.

"Hey. Are you okay?" Ron turned his head to look at Harry. He didn't say anything, but Ron's face said it all. "Are you still thinking about that voice?" Ron nodded, but remained silent. "What do you think it was?"

"I don't know, Harry." Ron blurted out, looking away from Harry. "I just don't know. I keep replaying it over and over in my head, but it doesn't make sense to me. I don't know who it was or what they are trying to tell me. I just…" he trailed off as he caught sight of Hermione standing at their door, which happened to be slightly open. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was open with shock. She turned to run down the stairs, but stopped when Ron called out her name. She turned around slowly and the boys could see that her face was beet red. Ron beckoned her to join them since she had already overheard part of their conversation. She walked into the room tentatively and sat next to Harry on his bed, much to Ron's disappointment.

"Hey, 'Mione. What's up?" Harry asked her. She avoided Ron's eyes and began to play with her hands.

"I… I was just coming to see what was wrong with you. You… seemed so distant before. I saw how distraught you looked and I thought I could help. Your door was open and when I heard Harry mention that voice… I guess… I just froze." She stammered. Harry suddenly realized that Hermione had also heard a voice.

"Did you hear a voice too, Hermione?" She shifted slightly at his question, but nodded. "What did it say?" he asked her.

"It was a voice that I had never heard before. It said: 'what you seek can only be found-'"

"-in your one and only…" Ron finished with her. Harry's eyes widened. Ron looked away from her and Hermione fainted. Ron immediately jumped off of his bed and ran over to her.

"'Mione! Are you okay? Can you hear me? Wake up, Hermione." Her eyes fluttered and then she opened them. She saw Ron standing over her with a worried look on his face. She smiled and went to sit up. Ron instinctively held his hand out to help her up. She took it and a shock of electricity shot through both of them. They quickly let go and they both blushed furiously.

"So… what do you guys think this voice is?" Harry asked them after he witnessed each of their reactions to their uncommon physical contact. They both looked at Harry. Ron shrugged and Hermione just looked away from Harry because she didn't want to address the issue. At that moment, Ginny walked into the room and asked what was going on.

"Remember what I was telling you earlier about that voice I heard while I was in Arithmancy?" Ginny nodded to her question.

"Ron heard the same voice while we were in Divination, and it said the exact same thing." Harry continued. Ginny gasped and then sat in her brother's bed. She looked from Ron to Hermione. Her eyes finally landed on Harry.

"It's just like their dr-"

"We were just trying to figure out what it means." Ron looked at Ginny with puzzlement to Harry's interjection, who was now giving Ginny a look for almost spilling the beans. Ginny looked at Hermione, whose face had begun to turn red. He then looked at Ron, whose face showed nothing but confusion. Ginny went red, realizing what she had almost said and she knew that Ron was going to ask when she meant. Sure enough… 

"What are you talking about, Ginny?" Harry looked at Ginny with a look that she understood as a 'don't-you-dare-tell-him' look. Hermione wouldn't meet Ginny's eyes. The silence continued until Ron couldn't take it anymore. "Will some please tell me what the bloody hell is going on?" His voice was now getting louder. Ginny winced at the volume of her brother's voice before she looked at Harry and then to Hermione.

"I think we should tell him, 'Mione." Hermione turned red, but didn't say anything.

"Tell me what? What are you all going on about?" he asked with an annoyed tone. Hermione got up and started walking towards the door. She told Ginny that she could tell him what was going on, but that she was going down to the common room. After she had left, Ginny looked at Harry, who was still seated on his bed.

"Why don't you go talk to her while I talk to my brother, Harry?" Harry nodded and silently followed Hermione down to the common room. Ron watched Harry shut the door and then turned back to his sister, still confused. "Sit down, Ron. We need to talk." She told him as she sat Indian-style at the foot of his bed. He sat down and turned to her so she would have his undivided attention. "Okay… this is what's going on as of now."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Explanations

Hermione sat down in the deserted common room, thinking about how Ron was going to react to what Ginny was about to tell him. Harry walked into the common room and sat next to her on the sofa. She raised her eyebrows as he cleared his throat.

"There's something that I need to tell you, Hermione. I've been talking to Ginny and she told me about the dreams you have been having about Ron." His words caused her to grow very red, but red with anger. She was about to curse Ginny when Harry held up his hand to silence her. "Before you go getting upset with Ginny, I want to explain to you why she told me." Hermione closed her mouth, but Harry could see that she was still furious. "First off, I want you to know that Ron and I accidentally overheard you and Ginny talking in an empty classroom about the dream that you had about Ron the night before you went home." Hermione's eyes grew wide at what he just told her. She quickly became embarrassed and tried to turn away from Harry, but he wouldn't let her. "You need to hear this, 'Mione. This is why I talked with Ginny in the first place. I asked her about it, but she was hesitant to tell me. She eventually did and she also learned something very interesting, which is what I am going to tell you now. Remember the dream that you overheard Ron telling me a few weeks ago?" She nodded, still unsure of where he was going with this. "I know that you had the same dream he did, but there is something about this whole thing that you don't know. It wasn't just that one dream that you both shared. You two have been sharing _all_ of the dreams that you have been having about each other. When Ginny told me about the dream that you had the night before you went home to your mum, I was shocked. I wasn't shocked at the fact that you had a dream about Ron, but I _was_ shocked at the fact that Ron had had the same exact dream about you." Hermione closed her eyes and a single tear fell down her cheek. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. _The dreams that I've been having about Ron have felt so real. And now I'm hearing that he had the same dream about me. This is unbelievable!_

"What exactly are you trying to tell me, Harry? I don't think I understand." Hermione was on the verge of tears as she spoke to him, but she knew that she needed to stay calm.

"I am telling you that you and Ron are connected somehow. First it was just your dreams, but now this voice you both heard. I have no doubt that there is something happening between the two of you and you both need to figure out what that is. Whatever it is that is happening between the two of you, the four of us will figure this out. Now I _know_ that you fancy Ron, and I _know_ he fancies you. _I_ think that that has something to do with it." Hermione stared at him, not knowing how to respond. Then she cleared her throat and began to speak.

"I might as well I should be honest with you, Harry. I've had a crush on Ron ever since our second year when he tried to curse Malfoy for calling me a Mudblood. I have also realized that my crush on him has changed over time, especially since our fourth year. Ever since the two of us got into that really big fight right after the Yule Ball over Viktor, I've realized that I don't have a crush on him anymore." Harry raised his eyebrows at her. He was about to say something when she held up her hand. "The reason why I don't have a crush on him anymore is… because I _love_ him. I haven't admitted that to anyone before, mainly because I tried to push these feelings away, but I can't. I love him so much, but I fear that our friendship will suffer because of it. I love being his friend and I don't ever want anything to interfere with that, even though we argue all the time. I don't know what to do, Harry. I'm so confused," she told him as she broke into tears. Harry put his arm around her to comfort her. He knew her pain all too well. He finally realized that he was in love with Ginny, but knew that he could never tell her that. He was afraid that she wouldn't love him back and also because Ron would kill him.

"I think you should go talk to him, Hermione. I know that Ginny is telling him everything that I have just told you. You two need to talk about this. And you'll both feel much better after you have." She nodded, rose slowly from the sofa, and made her way up the stairs. _Mission accomplished._ Harry thought to himself as he watched her walk up the stairs towards the boy's dormitory.

MEANWHILE

"Okay… this is what's going on as of now," she told him as she took a deep breath. "I've been talking to Harry and he told me about the dreams you have been having about Hermione." Her words caused his eyes to grow wide and his ears become very red. He began cursing Harry so Ginny held up her hand to silence him. "Before you go getting upset with Harry, I want to explain to you why he told me." Ron closed his mouth, but Ginny could see that he was still furious. "First off, I know that you and Harry overheard me and Hermione talking about a dream that she had the night before she went home to be with her mum." Ron's eyes widened and his ears got redder, so Ginny continued. "This is how I ended up talking to Harry about it. He asked me about what we were talking about and I told him. He was shocked by what I had told him because the dream that she had was the exact same one that you had had that very same night. But that's not all. Harry also told me that you have had a few dreams about Hermione since we've been back to school. And after talking with Harry about them, we both learned that not only have you both been having dreams about each other, but you two have been having the same exact dreams about each other." Ron tried to process all of the information that his sister had just told him. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. _The dreams that I've been having about Hermione have felt so real. And now I'm hearing that she had the same dream about me. This is unbelievable._

"So what is it that you are saying, Ginny?" Ron said after he finally found his voice. Ginny could tell that he was nervous about what she had told him, but she also knew that he was somewhat excited because he had just found out that Hermione had been dreaming about him.

"I am telling you that you and Hermione are somehow connected. First it was just your dreams, but now there's this voice and I have no doubt that there is something happening between the two of you and you both need to figure out what that is. I _know_ that you fancy Hermione, and I _know_ that she fancies you. I think that this has something to do with it," she told him slowly, hoping that it would process in his thick head. Ginny, better than anyone else, knew that her brother was thick-headed. He seemed to snap out of his daze when she finished talking.

"I'll guess I'll be honest, Gin. I've had a crush on Hermione ever since the day I met her. When she first came into the compartment that Harry and I were in, I thought that she was beautiful. At first, I thought it was just a quick thing, but over time it grew. When she was petrified during our second year, I was so upset that I wasn't there to try and protect her. I went to the hospital wing every day to visit her, even though I knew that she didn't and still doesn't know that I was there. But it wasn't until our fourth year when it really hit me. When I saw her at the Yule Ball with that Bulgarian git, I was jealous. I had wanted to go with her ever since the ball was announced, but I couldn't bring myself to ask her. By the time I did, it was too late. Even though we fight all the time, I love her just the same. Now I know that after everything we've been through, I love her. I love her more than I would have ever imagined it possible to love someone. But I love our friendship too, which is why I haven't and won't say anything to her. I don't want to ruin what we already have. I'm just afraid that she'd laugh at me. I don't know what to do, Gin," he told her as he put his head in his hands. She wiped a tear from her eye and then put her arm around him to try and comfort him, she knew what it was like to love someone so much and not be able to say anything about it. She was in love with Harry; she had been ever since they had met. She knew that she couldn't say anything because she didn't think that there was any way that The-Boy-Who-Lived would ever like her.

"Ron, that was beautiful. I never knew that you could be so romantic. I think you should tell her what you just told me. I know that Harry is telling her everything that I just told you right now, and you both need to talk about this. I think that you both will feel better once you do." He nodded and then stood up. _Mission accomplished._ Ginny thought to herself as he left the room.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Finally!

As Hermione left the common room to go talk to Ron, she thought about what she was going to say to him.

As Ron left his room and started towards the common room, he thought about he was going to say to Hermione.

Too engulfed in their own thoughts, neither of them was paying attention to where they were going and they bumped into each other. Knocked off balance, Hermione started to fall down the stairs. Quicker than lightning, Ron grabbed her around her wrist and yanked her towards him to keep her from falling. With the yank he gave her, she ended up falling on top of him and they both fell back on the stairs. They stared into each other's eyes, in search of something to say.

"I think we need to-" he was cut off by her forcing her mouth on his. _This is incredible. I can't believe I kissed him first._ She lightly touched his tongue with hers before she pulled away. "-talk," he finished, slightly breathless. She smiled at him.

"Sorry. It just seemed like the right thing to do. I'm sorry. I just couldn't help-" This time, she was cut off by him pulling her into a passionate kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he snaked his arms around her waist. _Bloody hell! I can't believe that this is happening. This is so awesome And she's kissing me back. Thank you, Harry! Thank you, Ginny!_ Suddenly, the sound of laughter pulled them apart. Ginny had appeared at the top of the stairs and Harry was not too far away.

"I told you to talk to him." Harry said to Hermione.

"Not snog her." Ginny said to Ron. "You two should get out of the stairwell before someone else sees you." They both stood up blushing. She walked passed them and disappeared in the common room with Harry following her.

"So… you wanted to talk, right? We can talk in my room so no one bothers us." Ron's heart skipped a beat. _Did she just say that she wanted to be alone in her room with me after what just happened? Bloody hell._ He nodded and followed her to her room. She said the password to allow him to enter just low enough so that he couldn't hear what it was. As he turned around from closing the door behind him, she had pushed him against it and kissed him passionately. She forcefully parted his lips with her tongue so that she could explore his mouth. At first, he was surprised by her actions, but he responded to her by pulling her closer to him and deepening the kiss. As if he was waking up from a dream, Ron broke the kiss, even though he did not want to. 

"Wait 'Mione. Before anything else happens, we need to talk. It's not that I don't want to be kissing you, believe me I do, but it's just that we have a lot to talk about and I would rather get it out of the way now so that I can snog you later." She laughed at the smirk that was on his face when he said that. She agreed and sat on her bed. He sat on the chair that was next to her bed, that way he wouldn't be tempted to just take her right then and there. "The first thing we need to talk about is our 'dream sharing' as Ginny put it. From what she told me, we both have been having the same dreams at the same time." She nodded and they began to discuss their dreams. They started with the very first one they had and then progressed to the most recent one. They talked about the whole thing for almost two hours. As it turned out, they both shared everything in their dreams: their feelings, their bodies, and even their physical and spiritual stimulations. They were interrupted by a slight knock on the door. Ginny poked her head in the door and asked them if they wanted to go down to dinner. Ron's stomach let out a loud grumble, which meant yes. They decided that they would pick up their conversation after dinner.

As they made their way down to the Great Hall for dinner, Ron couldn't help but think about what was going to happen during his 'conversation with Hermione' after dinner. Unfortunately, that conversation would never take place, for a familiar, yet unwanted voice broke into his thoughts.

"Well if it isn't the Weasels, the Mudblood and the wee little Potty." The form of Draco Malfoy appeared in front of them, closely followed by Crabbe and Goyle.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Hermione snapped at him. Malfoy glared at her, his steely grey eyes flashing.

"Don't talk to me, you filthy Mudblood bitch. I don't want to catch anything." He told her as he took a step away from her. Ron lunged for him, but Harry caught his arm. Ginny stepped in front of her brother with her brown eyes flashing with fury and hatred. 

"I wouldn't be talking, _ferret_. If anyone would be carrying something, it would be you." Ginny snarled, shoving him as she passed. Malfoy's face contorted with anger as he stared at her. Suddenly, there was a flash of light and Ginny crumpled to the floor. Immediately after, there was another flash of light, only this time it came from Hermione's wand. Ron and Harry ran to Ginny's side. She wasn't moving, but thankfully she was breathing. Ron looked up to see Hermione holding two wands; one pointed at Malfoy and the other pointed at Crabbe and Goyle. Ron noticed that the second wand she was holding looked an awful lot like his. When he went to grab his, he realized that the wand Hermione was holding was indeed his.

"How did you get my wand, Hermione?" She blushed slightly, but shook it off. Ron knew that she was going to overexert herself by holding two separate spells with two separate wands at the same time. He stepped towards her to try and help her, but she stopped him before he could reach her.

"Go get a teacher, Ron. Harry will stay with Ginny. Hurry though, I don't know how much longer I will be able to hold this." Ron nodded and took off down the hall. Harry was kneeling at Ginny's side, watching her breath, for it was the only movement she made. Hermione was beginning to get tired; she was putting too much energy into the two spells that held her opponents in place. Not long after Ron left, he returned, accompanied by Madame Pomfrey and Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall. Madame Pomfrey immediately began looking over Ginny while Professor Dumbledore asked Hermione to lift her spells. She did willingly and immediately slumped to the floor. She was exhausted from holding both spells for so long. Ron knelt down beside her and put his arm around her. They watched silently as Madame Pomfrey conjured a stretcher and placed Ginny on it. They both rose, Ron supporting her, and they followed Harry, Madame Pomfrey and Ginny to the Hospital Wing. As they left the corridor, they heard McGonagall yelling at their three adversaries.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The Fight

After a couple of hours and some dinner, Hermione, Ron and Harry left the Hospital Wing and were now walking down the corridors towards the Gryffindor Common Room. When they had left the Hospital Wing, Ginny was not awake; Madame Pomfrey was unable to determine exactly what spell Malfoy had hit her with. They didn't want to leave, but Madame Pomfrey had made them.

"You will be informed of any information concerning Miss Weasley as soon as I have some to give you. Now, go to your dormitories and get some rest. There is nothing more you three can do for her. Good night." With those words, Madame Pomfrey pushed them out of the Hospital Wing and closed the doors. It was past curfew now, so the trio made their way back to their dormitories quickly so that they didn't have a run-in with Filch, even though Madame Pomfrey had given them a note, which was clutched tightly in Hermione's hand, that explained where they were coming from.

When they got back to the Common Room, Harry went to bed, while Ron fell onto the couch and Hermione sank into the chair and just stared at Ron. He was too busy staring at the fire to notice her looking at him. She saw the way his features were illuminated by the fire's light. She saw a mixture of fear, concern and anger. She knew that he was concerned and scared for Ginny and that he was also extremely angry with Malfoy for what he did. She knew that she should say something, but she wasn't sure what to say. Finally, she cleared her throat to speak, which made Ron look up at her.

"Are you okay, Ron?" she asked as she sat down next to him. He didn't say anything; he just looked at her with mixed emotions. She put her arm around his shoulders to comfort him, and he seemed to relax at her touch. He leaned against her, putting his head on her shoulder. She pulled him into a hug and that's when he broke down. She was a little taken a back by this because she had never seen him cry before. She began to run her fingers through his hair to calm him down. He put him arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace. There were many emotions and thoughts running through his head, but it was at this time when he felt free and clear.

He released her and wiped away the tears that were pouring down his face as he leaned back against the couch. She looked at him with sympathetic eyes because she felt his pain over Ginny. Ginny was her best friend, besides Ron and Harry, and even though she had no real siblings, she felt as if Ginny was her sister.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Ron shook his head, which did not surprise Hermione one bit. She always knew that he found it difficult to share his feelings with others. "We should go to bed." He nodded in agreement and they both rose from the couch. Hermione gave him a quick kiss on the lips before disappearing behind her door. Ron touched his lips and stared at her closed door. He felt himself go red before ascending the stairs to his own room.

The next morning, Ron woke up to find Harry gone. He looked at his clock and saw that it was only 8:15 on Saturday morning. He quickly dressed and went down to the Common Room. The only person that he found was Hermione, who was studying. _Leave it to Hermione to be studying this early in the morning on a Saturday after what happened last night._

"Have you seen Harry this morning?" Hermione looked up from her book and shook her head.

"No I haven't. Isn't he sleeping? I've been down here for about an hour and I haven't seen anyone besides you this morning."

"I wonder where he could be then. We don't have Quidditch practice until 2 this afternoon." Hermione shrugged her shoulders as she put her book down and stood up.

"Maybe we should go look for him. It is a bit odd for him to be up and out of the dormitory this early in the morning. Let's go check the Great Hall first. Maybe he's eating an early breakfast." At the sound of food, Ron's eyes brightened and he expressed his feelings on her suggestion. "Honestly, Ron. Only you would think about food at a time like this. Your sister is lying unconscious in the Hospital Wing and your best friend is missing." She walked past him, muttering something that sounded like 'boys' as she stepped out of the portrait hole.

"What?" he asked when he caught up with her. "I was just saying that since we were going to go there to look for Harry anyway that we might as well eat while we were going to be there. I was thinking about you too, you know. Bloody hell, Hermione! I can't help it if I am a growing man." She gave him a sideways glance and continued walking.

When they got there, they saw no sign of Harry. Ron plopped sown at the Gryffindor table and began to eat. He finally convinced Hermione to join him before continuing to look for Harry. After leaving the Great Hall, they first went down to Hagrid's hut, but did not find Harry there. They decided to check the Owlry next, but there was no sign of Harry there either. Ron sat down on the stairs after they left the Owlry and Hermione sat next to him.

"This is pointless. He could be anywhere. I'm not searching this entire castle. That will take forever!" Hermione nodded her head in agreement.

"Why don't we go to the Hospital Wing and see if Madame Pomfrey has any new news about Ginny?" Ron nodded in agreement and they both descended the stairs and headed for the Hospital. When they got there, they found Harry sitting in a chair next to Ginny's bed doing his homework.

"What are you doing here? We've been looking all over for you." Ron told Harry as he neared Ginny's bed. Harry looked up from the parchment that he was writing on and looked from Hermione to Ron.

"Sorry, mate. I didn't mean to worry you. I woke up early and I couldn't go back to sleep, so I decided to come visit Ginny. And I decided to bring my homework along, seeing as how I wasn't going to be having much of a conversation. I guess I have been here for a couple of hours. What time is it anyway?" Harry asked him. Ron told him that it was about half past ten as he sat in the vacant chair next to Harry. Hermione asked him if Madame Pomfrey had told him anything new about Ginny. "They brought Malfoy in before I got here and they asked him what spell he had used on her. I can't remember exactly what Madame Pomfrey had said it was, but I do know that it was some form of the _Avada Kedavra_ curse."

"What?! What does that mean? Does that mean that Ginny is going to die?" Ron obviously looked upset at what Harry had just told him. Harry shook his head, but that didn't calm Ron any.

"No. Ginny will not die. But Madame Pomfrey did tell me that she was unsure as to how long before Ginny wakes up." He told his friends in a somber tone.

"So, she's in a coma?" Hermione asked. Harry nodded and Ron looked even more confused that before. Seeing his confusion, Hermione decided to explain to Ron what 'a coma' was. "A coma is when a person is alive, but they are unable to move, speak or do anything. Ginny is sleeping and we don't know when she will wake up." Hermione told him somberly. She was just as upset as Ron was; and judging by Harry's expression, he was too.

"According to the Muggle medical books, a person in a coma cannot hear what goes on around them. They just sleep as if they are in a trance." Harry informed them.

"_Most_ Muggle doctors say that those who are in a coma cannot hear what goes on around them. _I_ believe that they can hear _exactly_ what goes on around them. Some say that a person will come out of it faster if they have loved ones and close friends talking to them while they are under." Hermione told them in her matter-of-factly tone of voice. Neither Ron nor Harry said anything about what she just said.

They sat with Ginny for another few hours before they went to the Great Hall for lunch. After lunch, the boys headed down to the Quidditch pitch for practice and Hermione went back to the dormitory to do some homework. Once she got her books, she decided to go back to the Hospital Wing and do her work so that she could be with Ginny. She left a note for the boys to let them know where she was and left the Common Room.

After a couple of hours, both boys entered the Hospital Wing looking refreshed and exhausted. They asked if there was any change, but there wasn't. The trio sat there for a little while longer before heading to the Great Hall for dinner. After dinner, Ron and Hermione went to attend to their Head Girl/prefect duties while Harry returned to the Hospital Wing to visit Ginny.

Over the next couple of months, the days became routine for the trio. They would get up early to visit Ginny in the Hospital. Then they would go eat breakfast in the Great Hall, sometimes Harry would skip breakfast. Then they would go to their daily classes. They would visit Ginny whenever they had free time during the day and once classes were over for the day, Harry would sometimes skip lunch to visit her. After dinner, Ron and Hermione would go to the library to do homework while Harry would visit Ginny, occasionally bringing his homework with him. The only times when their daily routine would change was: on the weekends, when the boys had Quidditch practices or games and when Hermione and Ron had to attend to their Head Girl/prefect duties.

One evening, Harry was talking to Ginny in the Hospital Wing. He wasn't sure if she could hear him, but he was going on what Hermione had told him a few months earlier about how they could hear what was going on around them. He had a few things to get off of his chest and he figured that now was as good a time as any.

"I hope you wake up soon, Ginny. We need you for Quidditch (Ginny was one of their Chasers). We haven't been doing very well without you. Your family is really worried about you too. So is Hermione; she really misses her best friend, he female friend that is. As for me… I'm lost without you. It wasn't until you got hurt that I realized how much I care about you. I've been here every day since you've been here. I really miss you. I hope that you wake up soon so that I can tell you how much I love you." With those last words, Harry put his head down on her bed and began to cry softly to himself.

"Harry? Is that you?" came a soft voice from the bed. Harry looked up with his tear-stained face to see Ginny looking back at him. He was so shocked that he couldn't say anything. "What's the matter? You look like you've just seen a ghost." Ginny said to him. He swallowed the lump that had risen in his throat before saying anything.

"Ginny. How are you feeling?" _That was a stupid question, Potter. How do you think she is feeling?_

"Much better now." She told him with a smile. "Did you mean what you said before? When you said that you loved me?" Harry nodded and her smile widened.

"With all my heart." With those words, he leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. The kiss did not last more than two seconds because a booming voice broke them apart.

"What the bloody hell do you think you are doing?!" Ron yelled at the two of them, even though he was looking at only Harry. Harry wouldn't look Ron in the eye, but Ginny was not going to let her brother get away with this.

"We were kissing if you really must know. What did it look like we were doing… playing chess?" She yelled back at him. Ginny was obviously angry with Ron for ruining her first kiss with Harry. She was also upset that he could only be upset with her instead of asking her how she was doing, seeing as she just woke up after being in a coma for four months.

"You aren't allowed to kiss my sister, Harry!"

"Why not, Ron? I can do whatever I want and there is nothing that you can do about it. If it were left up to you, I'd be locked in a room for the rest of my life!"

"You're damn right you would be!"

"Ronald Bilius Weasley! How dare you say such a thing? Leave me alone right now. I don't want to see or talk to you again. I HATE you!" she cried. With her last words, Ron stormed out of the Hospital Wing, just as Madame Pomfrey came in.

"What is all this noise? Miss Weasley, you're awake. How are you feeling, sweetie? Let me look you over." Madame Pomfrey began to look Ginny over, as Hermione walked closer to her bed.

"Ginny, I'm so glad you're awake. I really missed you. I'm sorry about your brother. He's such a prat. Don't pay him any mind. I'll go talk to him. Oh, and congratulations to the both of you," she gave them both an encouraging smile before leaving the Hospital Wing in search of Ron.

Harry told Ginny that he was going to the Owlry to send a letter to her parents and let them know that she was awake and okay. He left and ran to the Owlry. After Hedwig was out the window with the parchment securely tied to her leg, Harry returned to the Hospital, where he and Ginny talked for a while.

"I'm sorry about my brother. He's such a prat."

"I know, but he's just being protective of his little sister. I never told him that I fancied you because I thought that he would pound me," he admitted as his cheeks turned a slight shade of pink.

"It's okay. I'm not surprised that you didn't tell him. Even thought I hate to say this, I think you should go talk to him. He's your best friend and I don't want you two fighting," she told him calmly. Harry didn't look very happy about what she had asked him to do, but he knew that he would have to do it sooner or later. He kissed her forehead and then set out to look for Ron.

MEANWHILE

Hermione found Ron sitting in the same hallway as the Room of Requirement. She thought that it was strange that he was sitting in the hallway and not in the room itself. When she reached him, she wished for a quiet place for the two of them to talk and the door appeared. She motioned for him to join her and he quietly followed her into the room.

"What's the matter, Ron?" she asked as they both sat on the couch that had appeared in the room. He mumbled something that sounded like Harry and Ginny's names. "What about them, Ron? And speak up please. I can hardly hear you," she told him.

"They shouldn't be kissing. He's my best mate and she's my little sister. I'll kill him if he goes near her again." Ron told her angrily.

"Honestly, Ron. Ginny is a big girl and she can take care of herself. If she has survived being the younger sister of you and your older brothers, I think she can handle herself."

"But it's Harry. Why did it have to be Harry?"

"She's liked Harry forever and you knew that. You never cared before. Besides, wouldn't you rather see Ginny with Harry instead of some bloke who will only end up using her for her body?" Ron looked away from her. He knew that Hermione was right, but he didn't feel like telling her that. "And another thing. Aren't you happy at the fact that Harry may have finally found someone who will make him happy?" Ron wouldn't meet her eyes. It wasn't until Hermione forced him to look at her. "Answer me, Ron. Don't you want your little sister and your best mate to be happy?" Ron looked away from her, but nodded in agreement. "Then you need to go find Harry and talk to him about this," she told him. He kissed her lightly on the lips and then set off to find Harry.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Kiss and Make Up

After Ron left the Room of Requirement in search of Harry, Hermione decided that she would go and visit with Ginny. She didn't get to talk to her since she woke up and she was dying to see her best friend after being out of it for a couple of months.

Madame Pomfrey was just finishing up her checkup of Ginny when Hermione arrived at the Hospital Wing. Ginny smiled as Hermione approached her bed. They hugged for a moment before Hermione took a seat beside Ginny's bed.

"I've missed you so much, Ginny. How are you feeling?" Hermione asked her friend. Ginny smiled at her.

"Well rested." Ginny told her with a laugh. Hermione laughed too. Suddenly, Hermione felt a slight tug on her robes. She looked down to see Dobby holding a silver tray.

"Pardon me, miss. But Dobby was sent here to give this food to Miss Weezy," he told the two girls as he set the tray down on the table next to Ginny.

"Who sent the food, Dobby?" Ginny asked as she lifted the cover off of the tray to reveal all of her favorite foods.

"Harry Potter sent me not too long ago. I was most happy to do a favor for Harry Potter. He has always been kind to Dobby." Ginny's grin widened when Dobby told her this. "Dobby must be getting back to the kitchens now. Dobby has much work to do. Good day miss." With a loud crack, Dobby was gone.

"That was so sweet of Harry to send Dobby up here with food, knowing that you haven't really eaten in awhile. You must be starving, Gin." Ginny didn't say anything because she already had her mouth full of food. Hermione laughed at the site she saw. "You remind me of your brother right now." Ginny swallowed what was in her mouth before talking.

"First of all, if I was _really _like Ron I wouldn't have waited to swallow my food before answering you. Second of all, how _are _things going between you and my brother?" Hermione could see that Ginny was anxious to know what she had missed in the last few months. Hermione smiled at her.

"Things are going fine. We haven't actually had a chance to get very far with what has been going on lately. We have both been doing our homework and studying like crazy getting ready for our N.E.W.T.'s. And then don't forget my Head Girl duties and Ron's prefect duties and Quidditch practices on top of it all. We've also been really worried about you." Ginny was about to protest to Hermione's last few words, but Hermione held her hand up to silence her friend so that she could continue. "I'm not saying that it's your fault, because it isn't. I just meant that we've both been thinking about how you are doing and when you were going to wake up, that we've been distant. We cuddle on the couch in front of the fire in the Common Room or we'll take walks around the grounds. Most of the time, we're in the library doing work. Yes, Ginny. You're brother has been in the library. I do hope that we will be able to get some quality time soon. But with the upcoming N.E.W.T.'s, there won't be much time and then not long after that will be graduation and then we will go our separate ways and-"

"Hermione Jane Granger, you are the smartest witch that has passed through the main doors of this school in a very long time. You know every one of your textbooks inside and out. I think you can afford a little time off to spend with your boyfriend. Even if it's only one night a week, you owe it to both Ron and yourself to spend time together." Hermione knew that Ginny was right. She did need to spend more time with Ron, but she didn't want to abandon her studies. _One night a week won't hurt you, you know. Don't you want to spend some quality time with Ron? _She thought to herself.

"You're right, Ginny. I think I will take a night off every week to spend with him. it will be fun," she told her smiling friend. _It'll be a lot of fun in deed. _She told herself silently.

"I know I'm right, Hermione. I may have been out of it for a couple of months, but I do know both you and my brother well enough to know that you two need each other and it will definitely help you both to spend more time together." Ginny told her in her matter-of-fact tone that reminded Hermione a lot of Mrs. Weasley.

"Whatever you say, Ginny. But enough about me and your brother, what about you and Harry? I know that I saw you two kissing earlier." Hermione words made Ginny blush a brilliant shade of red.

"Well, I was lying in bed and I guess I was starting to wake up. I heard someone talking to me and it sounded a lot like Harry. Then I heard that person say that they loved me. At that point, I needed to know who was sitting beside me and I couldn't sit up to see. I was almost positive that it was Harry, so I asked if it was him. I was so happy to see that it _was _him, Hermione. I've loved him for so long and I would have never thought that he would ever love me in return." Hermione smiled widely at her friend. She knew how much this meant to Ginny. "And then I asked him if he meant what he had said about loving me and he told me that he meant it with all of his heart. I was so happy. And then he kissed me for the first time. It was magic… until my prat of a brother had to come in and ruin it all. I can't believe he did that." Ginny growled. Hermione felt bad for her friend. She has always known that Ginny had liked Harry, but she never knew that Harry felt the same way. Deep down, Hermione knew that Harry felt something for Ginny, but he had never mentioned it to either her or Ron. Hermione knew that Harry had felt slightly lonely since Hermione and Ron realized their feelings for each other. She knew that it was only a matter of time before Harry found someone for himself. Personally, Hermione was happy that it was Ginny that he had found.

"I wonder if Ron has found Harry yet. I sent him to find Harry before I came to visit you." Hermione told her. Ginny laughed.

"That's funny because I told Harry to do the exact same thing." They both laughed at what Ginny had just said.

MEANWHILE

Harry had left Ginny in the Hospital Wing in search of Ron at the same time that Ron left Hermione in the Room of Requirement in search of Harry. Harry was a little unsure about talking to Ron at this time because he thought that Ron would hit him. Ron was unsure about talking to Harry at the moment because he was afraid that he would hit him and Ron didn't want to do that.

Harry went to the common room first to see if Ron had gone back there, but found it completely deserted. After a quick check in their room, Harry headed towards the Owlry to see if maybe Ron was there. Ron started towards Hagrid's, but turned around when he saw all of the windows completely dark. Ron then decided to go to the Owlry to see if maybe Harry was there. Before either of them could get to the Owlry, they found themselves face-to-face in a corridor. Both of them stopped walking and just looked at each other for a few moments. Harry cleared his throat and began to slowly walk towards where Ron was standing. Once they were only inches apart, neither would look at the other. Finally, Harry decided to speak.

"Ron, I just wanted to say that-" Harry began, but was cut off by Ron.

"No, Harry. Don't say anything; just listen to what I have to say first." Harry nodded and Ron cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for what I said and for the way that I acted in the Hospital Wing earlier today. I was just really shocked when I walked in to see you kissing my baby sister. I know that Ginny isn't a baby anymore, but she will always be my baby sister and I am very protective of her. I know that Ginny has liked you for ages, but I didn't think that you liked her too. You've never said anything before and I wasn't really expecting it. I can actually say that I'm happy that it is you with my sister and not some other smarmy bloke who won't really care about her. But I'll warn you now. If you hurt my sister, I _will_ hurt you. And I won't be the _only_ Weasley that you will have to answer to," Ron told Harry as he playfully hit him on the back. Harry grinned at his best friend.

"I'm sorry that you had to find out about it the way that you did. I wanted to tell you how I felt about Ginny sooner, but I couldn't with everything going on. Plus, I didn't really know myself how I felt about her. It wasn't until she got hurt that it was all made sense. So you don't mind me dating your sister?" Harry asked Ron tentatively. Ron smiled at Harry.

"No, I don't mind. But I don't want you snogging her in front of me either. That's just gross," Ron told him with a laugh. "Besides, now I don't feel bad about being with Hermione around you and now you won't feel so lonely." Harry gave him look that told him to shut up and Ron complied. The two boys walked back towards the Hospital Wing, talking about their upcoming Quidditch match. They didn't make it to the Hospital Wing, for Harry collapsed on the floor, clutching his scar.

"Harry, are you okay? What is it? Is it _him_?" Ron asked him with fear rising in his voice. Harry nodded and sat upright on the floor, still clutching his scar.

"I can't tell if he is happy or mad. Something is going to happen, but I don't know what," he told Ron. Ron pulled him to his feet and the two of them quickly walked the rest of the way to the Hospital Wing. When they got there, they saw Hermione and Ginny talking and giggling. Their smiles faded when they saw the looks on Harry and Ron's faces.

"What's the matter? Harry, are you okay?" Hermione asked, concern showing in her voice. The boys began to explain about how they were on their way back to the Hospital Wing when Harry's scar began to hurt. Harry told them that he didn't know if Voldemort was pleased or mad, but that he knew something was going to happen. He didn't want to go to Dumbledore quite yet, he wanted to wait and see if anything else happened. Ron, Hermione and Ginny agreed and they all left it at that.

A couple of days later, Ginny was released from the Hospital Wing and everything went back to normal. Harry's scar didn't hurt again and none of them ever brought it up again. Their lives went on with no real problems, with the exception of the occasional encounters with Malfoy. Until one day, after everyone had gone to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

6

Chapter 10

Disappearance

_As he walked through the door, Harry saw a figure slumped against the far wall of the room. The figure did not move, but it looked rather familiar. As he neared closer to the figure, he realized who it was._

"_Ron!" he shouted as he drew nearer to his friend. Before he could get to Ron, a tall, dark, hooded figure appeared in his way. Harry stopped dead in his tracks and just stared at the tall figure. "What have you done to him?!" Harry asked, with the sound of fear in his voice. The tall figure just smiled viciously at Harry, but still said nothing. Harry took out his wan, but the hooded figure was too quick for him._

_Before he knew what hit him, Harry found himself unable to move due to the magical cords that were now binding his hands and feet together. The figure moved closer to him, but still hid his face. "Harry Potter. I knew you would come after your friend. You're pathetic. You just can't resist saving people. I knew that if I captured one of your close friends, you would come to the rescue, just like when you came to save your beloved grandfather." Harry looked away when the man said this, for the thought of Sirius still pained him with guilt and sadness. "You will never see your friend again. But before I kill you, you must first watch him die." The man looked at Ron and raised his wand. "Avada Kedavra." There was a flash of green light and then…_

"Harry, wake up! Are you all right?" Ron asked him as Harry sat up in his sweat-soaked bed. "What's the matter, mate? What did you dream about this time? Was it You-Know Who?" Ron asked him looking a bit frightened. Harry looked at Dean, Seamus and Neville, who were standing at the foot of his bed looking terrified. He looked back at Ron and swallowed hard.

"I- I- I dreamed you were- he-." Harry couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence. He looked at Ron, who looked as if he had just seen a ghost. Ron stared at him, but was unable to speak. "It was probably just like last time. It's nothing. Let's just go to bed," he told Ron quickly. Ron didn't look convinced, but he agreed and went to bed. As Ron laid in his bed, he thought about what Harry had said, and what he didn't want to say. _I wonder what Harry dreamed. I wonder if it had anything to do with his scar hurting last week. Does this mean that something is going to happen to me soon? I seriously hope not. I just got together with Hermione and I want to enjoy it. _It was with these last few thoughts that Ron drifted off to an unsettled sleep.

Harry tossed and turned for the rest of the night. _What did that dream mean? Was something going to happen to Ron? Was Voldemort planning something to do with Ron? Should he say something to Dumbledore? Or was it just like last year when he thought that Voldemort had Sirius._ A tear began to form in Harry's eye. Thinking about Sirius was painful. Harry decided that he was not going to think about Sirius now. He simply rolled over and closed his eyes. He was asleep in minutes.

The next morning, Harry told Hermione, while Ron sat there quietly and listened, about the dream that he had the night before. She wanted Harry to tell Dumbledore straight away, but Harry refused.

"I'm not telling Dumbledore." Harry told her. She stared at him and then opened her mouth to protest. "At least not yet. I want to see if I have another dream like that. Then I'll tell him. I don't want to make something of this and it turn out to be nothing. Remember what happened to Sirius?" he told her angrily. Hermione and Ron knew that it was painful for Harry to talk about Sirius. She just smiled and made him to promise to tell Dumbledore the next time he had that dream.

The rest of the day went fairly well. He received extra homework from Professor Snape, but it wasn't like that was a surprise. Not to mention his regular load from Professor McGonagall and Professor Trelawney. After dinner, the trio sat down in the common room to do some of there homework. After a few hours, Ron decided to go up to bed. After he had gone, Hermione took this opportunity to talk to Harry about his dream.

"Are you all right Harry? I know you're wondering if this is real or if Voldemort is just trying to trick you again," she said to him. He just looked at her, unsure of what he wanted to say, so she continued. "I know it's difficult, since you thought of Sirius as a parental figure. And you think of Ron as your brother."

"I don't know what to think. I know that Voldemort tricked me two years ago by making me believe that he had Sirius trapped in the Department of Mysteries. And I don't know if Voldemort _really._ wants to go after Ron or if he is trying to make me think he is so that he can hide his real plans from me," he told her as he began to put his books away.

"I don't know what to think either. I guess we should wait and see if you have this dream again. If so, we go _straight_ to Dumbledore. Ron's not taking this very well. He looked upset all day today and he wonders, as do I, if this has anything to do with why your scar hurt last week. Because if it does, than that means that Ron is in trouble. I really hope this dream means nothing." Hermione told him sadly, as she too began to put her things away. They said goodnight and went to their rooms. When Harry walked into his dorm to go to sleep, he felt that something wasn't right. As he walked further into the room, he realized that-.

"RON!!!!!" he cried when he reached the foot of Ron's bed. Ron wasn't there. His blankets were thrown around, as if he was taken from it. Dean, Seamus, and Neville got out of their beds and came over to Ron's empty bed. Harry looked at them, wondering how long each of them was in the room that the five of them shared. "Was he in bed when you came up?" he asked them, with pain and concern rising in his voice.

"You, Ron, and Hermione were still downstairs when I came up to bed. I was the first one up here." Seamus said. Dean said that he came up not too long after Seamus did.

"Ron, Dean and Seamus were already sleeping when I came up." Neville told him in a small voice. "I have been asleep for a about an hour, so I don't know what happened," he said, looking as though he was about to cry.

"Neville, I need you to go get Professor McGonagall. She needs to know about this immediately. Tell her that I will be in Dumbledore's office. Dean, I want you and Seamus to try and see if you can call up to Hermione and Ginny and tell them to meet me there as well. I have to go and see Dumbledore now." Harry told them as he ran out of the room.

The whole way to the headmaster's office, Harry kept replaying the dream that he had the night before in his head. When he got to the staircase to get to Dumbledore's office it was already open, which saved him from having to figure out the password. When he got to Dumbledore's office, Professor McGonagall was already there and, to his surprise, so were Lupin, Tonks, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Professor Snape. They all stopped talking when he walked in. Mrs. Weasley took him up in a huge hug and asked him to tell her what happened.

"Ron, Hermione, and I were doing our homework in the common room. Ron was a little upset, so he set off to bed before me and Hermione did. When I went upstairs, he was gone. Neville told me that he was in his bed when he went to bed, but that he was asleep for about an hour. I saw Neville go upstairs about an hour and a half before I did." Harry explained.

"Why was Ron upset, Harry?" Mrs. Weasley asked him through some sobs. At that moment, Hermione and Ginny burst into the room crying hysterically, this saved Harry from having to explain his dream at that moment. Ginny went right into her mother's arms.

"What happened? Is he okay? Where is he?" Hermione asked. She burst into tears again and hugged Mrs. Weasley. "Do you think this has to do with your dream, Harry?" she asked him as she wiped her tears. When she said this, everyone in the room looked at him with interest.

"Dream? What dream?" Mr. Weasley asked him with a concerned and scared look on his face. Harry saw the look of fear in Mrs. Weasley's eyes and knew that he had to tell them. He took a deep breath and told them about the dream he had the night before. Mrs. Weasley cried softly as Harry told his story. When he finished, everyone looked rather upset. "Why didn't you tell anyone about this dream, Harry?" he asked when Harry had finished talking. Harry looked away.

"I didn't want to make a big deal out of it. I wasn't sure what it meant, and I didn't want to make the same mistake twice," Harry paused after those words, for everyone knew what he was referring to. They all knew that he was talking about Sirius and what happened that night in the Department of Mysteries and how Harry blamed himself for what happened to Sirius. Dumbledore rose from his chair and told Harry, Hermione and Ginny to go back to their dormitory. He then sent Tonks and Lupin out to begin searching for any leads as to the whereabouts of Ron. He then told Snape and McGonagall to return to their quarters and he would contact them shortly. He offered Mr. and Mrs. Weasley a place to stay inside the castle, but they politely refused and decided to go back home. They told him that they needed to send word to their other children about the situation. They said their goodbyes to Harry, Hermione and Ginny and then left the castle so that they could Apperate home from Hogsmeade.

Soon enough, what had happened had finally sunk in to Harry's head and he shed a tear. Ron had been kidnapped. Harry feels responsible because he dreamed that it would happen, but he never told anyone. He ignored these dreams because the last time he thought that his dreams were true, he ended up making them come true. Harry knew that if he had never gone to the Department of Mysteries to try and save Sirius, Sirius would still be alive. Harry still felt guilty about that and now, with Ron missing, he felt even worse. Hermione wasn't taking it well either. She looked really upset about the whole situation. She didn't tell Harry this, but she was afraid of what happened to Ron because she felt that they might come after her next, since she was Harry's other best friend.

Once the weekend was over, the news of Ron's disappearance was buzzing all over school. Harry could hear people whispering as he passed them in the corridors. Hermione kept her head down as she walked beside him, for she always had tears streaming down her cheeks. Ginny wasn't taking it well either, for now she was the only Weasley at Hogwarts. It was bad enough for her when Fred and George left school two years ago year, but now that Ron was gone; it made everything else feel even more distant. As they neared the dungeon to begin Potions, Harry and Hermione heard a loud and very obnoxious voice coming from inside the classroom.

"I can't believe that the Weasel was kidnapped. Who would want to kidnap that Mudblood lover? I won't be too surprised if the rest of his Mudblood loving family was kidnapped too. Serves them all right. That'll teach them to get in the Dark Lords way." Malfoy was saying to anyone who would listen to him, but Harry had heard enough. With Malfoy's final words, he leapt on him, not caring if he lost Gryffindor hundreds of points for it. At that moment, Snape entered the room and called for silence. This time, to everyone, especially Malfoy's, Snape took points from his own house for Malfoy's words. "Professor!" he exclaimed with astonishment. "Why are you taking points from your own house and not from theirs?" he asked as he threw a nasty glare towards Harry and Hermione.

"I do not feel any need to have to explain myself to you, Malfoy. You will mind your tongue or I will mind it for you." Snape snapped and then looked back at the roll of parchment that was on his desk. Malfoy looked as if he had been slapped in the face a hundred times. Several of the Gryffindors were so shocked that they didn't realize that they were still standing up and not sitting in front of their cauldrons where they were supposed to be. Harry, however, just stared at Snape from his chair. He did not know what had just happened, but he was determined to find out. When class ended, Harry packed his stuff up slowly so that he would be able to talk to Snape. "What can I do for you, Potter?" Snape asked him as Harry approached his desk.

"Professor, I was wondering if I could ask you a question," he said as he moved closer to Snape's desk. Snape looked at him with a look that told Harry not to even bother asking his question. Harry ignored it and decided to press the matter further. "I was wondering why you took points from Malfoy earlier, but not from me. It just doesn't make any sense," Harry said meekly.

"Do you want me to take points from your house, Potter?" Snape asked him in a disgruntled tone, still not looking up from the parchment that he was writing on. Harry shook his head. "Good. Then I suggest that you run along to your next lesson before you _do_ get points taken from your house." Harry nodded and left the room. He was still unsure as to why Snape sided with him, but he decided to leave it at that for the mean time.

Transfiguration was next. Hermione tried to talk to Harry during class, but was unsuccessful because Professor McGonagall did not allow anyone to talk while she spoke, which was usually during the entire class. When class had ended, Hermione went over to Harry and asked him what Snape had said to him. McGonagall had overheard their conversation and decided to join it.

"What happened during Potions, Potter? You fought with Malfoy? He said _what_? Snape did _what_?" she asked as Harry and Hermione told her what had happened earlier that day. "Interesting," she said, and then dismissed them both before she left the room. Harry and Hermione exchanged curious looks and then they went to the Great Hall for lunch. Before they arrived, they were stopped by Malfoy and his usual crowd.

"I don't know what happened earlier Potter, but when my father hears about this…" he began with a smug expression plastered on his face.

"Yes, well when you see your _father_, you better have him tell Voldemort that he better release Ron or else," Harry said angrily. Malfoy laughed at that.

"Do you think that the Dark Lord is scared of you?" he said with a laugh. Crabbe and Goyle sniggered at Malfoy's comment.

"Oh I _know_ he's scared of me. Every time I've faced him, I've beaten him. And if he doesn't let Ron go, he _will_ face me again, only there won't be a next time. Make sure he gets that message," Harry said as he strode past them. Malfoy and the others all looked dumbstruck. Hermione was even amazed at what Harry had said.

"I can't believe you just said that," she gasped as she plopped down next to him at the Gryffindor table. Harry didn't say anything to her; he just filled his plate and began to eat. She followed suit, sensing that he didn't want to talk about it right now. Harry thought that if he sent a message to Voldemort telling him that he would die if he did not release Ron, then he would surly do it. Unfortunately for Harry, this would not happen. Voldemort would not be scared into doing anything.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

One and Only Love

Over the next few days, the Order was very busy looking for Ron. Harry, Hermione and Ginny withdrew themselves from everyone around them. Hermione began to spend a lot of time in the library, even more so than usual. Ginny was constantly seen moping around the corridors, not looking like her usually happy self. Harry had completely shut everyone out. He felt solely responsible for what happened to Ron; the same way he felt after Sirius died. He barely spoke to Hermione and Ginny, let alone anyone else. Most of the students and all of the professors, including Snape, didn't bother them.

Hermione felt extremely lonely without Ron. Although Harry and Ginny were there, they weren't really there. Both of them had withdrawn themselves from everyone, even her, and it hurt her inside. She hoped that Ron would come home soon. One night, she did something that she had never done before. She prayed.

_Whoever is up there, I need your help. I need Ron to be safe. I need him to come back to us. I need him to be here with me now. I love him so much and I never got to tell him. I'll never be able to live with myself if he dies without knowing how I really feel. I know that we have only been together for a short while, but it feels like it has been an eternity. Whoever is up there and if you can hear me, please let me see my love again. I couldn't bear to live this life without him by my side_.

Hermione laid down in her bed, thinking about everything that had happened over the last few months. She thought about how she and Ron had finally gotten together after four years of denial. She thought about when Ginny was attacked by Malfoy. And then she thought about Ron's disappearance and whether or not he was still alive. _First Ginny is attacked and then Ron? I wonder if I'll be next._ She drifted off to sleep with that last thought in her head. Little did she know that there was a message waiting for her once she entered the realm of dreams.

_There was barely a sound heard as she made her way through the dark corridor. She heard the faint sound of dripping water, which was coming from up ahead. She quickened her pace and tightened her grip around her wand. Farther and farther she walked, but she never seemed to get closer to the sound that she heard. Then, she heard a sound that she would never forget. It was sound of pain and suffering and she knew who was making those sounds. It was her beloved, the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She began to run and called out his name. Soon, she felt as if she was getting closer to him. Not too long after, she found herself come to the end of the corridor, but there was a large door in her way. She could hear her love screaming in pain just on the other side of where she stood. She tried to open the door, but it would not open. She tried to magically unlock it, but it didn't work. She began to cry, for she could not think of a way to get through. Then, she heard a voice in her head. A voice that sounded very familiar._ "What you seek can only be found in your one and only love, Hermione. You must look inside yourself. It is the only way to save Ron."

Hermione sat upright in her bed, shaking and sweating. She thought about what she had just heard and realized what she heard. It was that voice again. This time, it told her more and she realized who the voice belonged to. Hermione climbed out of bed, knowing what she had to do. She immediately went to Ginny's room and woke her up.

Ginny was very upset that Hermione had woken her up. Hermione asked her to meet her down in the common room and that she would be there in a minute. Ginny agreed and climbed out of bed. Hermione then went up to the boys' room and woke Harry up, who was also upset for being woken up. She told him that she really needed to talk to him and for him to come down to the common room. He agreed and got out of bed. He was a little surprised to see Ginny sitting on the sofa, but he sat down and waited for Hermione to come down. Hermione had stopped back in her room for a moment to get herself prepared for what she was going to tell them. She knew that Harry would take it badly, but she knew that he had to know. Once she got to the common room, she conjured up some tea and toast for them. She took a deep breath and began to tell them what had happened.

"First of all, I want to say that I am very sorry for waking you both up in the dead of the night, but I needed to tell you both about this right away. I had a dream… about Ron." Both of her friends shifted uncomfortably in their seats, not knowing what to say. "This dream was definitely a clue as to where Ron is, and I think the dream sharing or whatever you two called it is kicking in again." At these words, Harry and Ginny's eyes grew wide. They had forgotten about the fact that Hermione and Ron were connected in a way beyond that of a normal couple.

"What did you dream, Hermione. Do you know where my brother is?" Ginny asked her with hope in her voice. Hermione sadly shook her head and Ginny lowered her eyes in disappointment.

"I don't know where your brother is… yet. But I think that if I have a few more dreams, I can figure it out. There is something else as well." Hermione shifted nervously in her chair and then took a sip of her tea to calm herself. "I heard that voice again. The one that Ron and I heard a few months ago."

"What did it say? Did it say more than it did last time? Did it give any clues to where Ron is?" Harry asked her. Hermione nodded her head.

"It did say more than last time, and I _think _it gave a clue as to where Ron is. But, thinking about it is hard."

"Hermione, what did the voice say to you?" Ginny asked pleadingly. Hermione sighed and took a deep breath.

"It said: 'What you seek can only be found in your one and only love, Hermione. You must look inside yourself. It is the only way to save Ron,'" she told them as a single tear fell down her cheek. She looked down at the floor. Ginny and Harry just looked at her. Harry was confused.

"But Hermione, why is that so hard to think about?" Harry asked her. Hermione looked up at him, now with two full streams of tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Because I figured out whose voice it is, Harry. And it doesn't make sense. It's also scary to think about," she told him somberly as she looked away from Harry. Looking at him was too painful, especially after realizing who has been giving her messages. He looked at her now with a curious look.

"Whose voice is it, Hermione? I assume that it is someone we know." Ginny said to her friend. Hermione nodded her head, but wouldn't look at Harry. She mumbled the name so low that neither of them heard her. "What was that, Hermione? I didn't hear you."

"It was Sirius' voice. I was able to recognize it this time because the voice said more. I don't know why he ever spoke to me or Ron in the first place, but he is clearly trying to tell me something now. I just don't understand what it is," she told them as she put her head in her hands to hide her tear-stained face. Harry had become quiet and Ginny just looked at him. Both girls knew what was going through his head at that moment. Hermione leaned over and put her hand on his shoulder. He flinched at her touch, but didn't push her away. This was the first time Harry had shown even the slightest bit of emotion since Ron was taken. Taking both girls by surprise, he spoke in a soft and caring tone.

"He is trying to tell you that you are the only one who can save Ron. Your love for each other will save him from Voldemort. Dumbledore told me once that the only thing that is more powerful than anything Voldemort has is love. Love will conquer all. In this case, it has to, or all will be lost." Both girls just stared at him, astounded at what he had just said. Hermione thought that he would be upset, but he didn't seem to be. Ginny thought he would yell, but he didn't. Seeing their expressions, Harry decided to explain something to them. "Sometimes, Sirius comes to me in my dreams. When he does, we sit for hours and talk. I know that he isn't really going to be there when I wake up, but it's good to have him. Even if it is only in my dreams." Harry finished his tea and decided to go to bed. He told both girls that he would see them in the morning. He also told Hermione that he wanted to go see Dumbledore before breakfast and tell him what was going on so far. Hermione nodded in agreement and followed Harry and Ginny towards the stairs.

As she climbed into her bed, she thought about what Harry had said about talking to Sirius in his dreams. Then she realized that she was going to be telling Dumbledore about her dream and how her and Ron had been dream sharing ever since they had returned to Hogwart's for their final year. She soon fell asleep, but she would wake up disappointed because she would not dream again that night.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Talk with Dumbledore

The next morning, Hermione woke up slightly disappointed. She had hoped that she would dream about Ron again. She missed him so much. She got out of bed and headed into her bathroom to get ready to go down to breakfast. There was a knock at the door, and she found Ginny standing there. Ginny told her that she was waiting for her to get ready so that they could go see Dumbledore. Hermione had forgotten all about her promise to go and tell Dumbledore about what has been happening. She dressed quickly and followed Ginny down to the common room where Harry was waiting for them. They left Gryffindor Tower and made their way down to Dumbledore's office. When they got to the statue of the gargoyle, Hermione muttered the password and the gargoyle sprang to life. The three of them climbed the stairs and knocked on the headmaster's door.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley, Miss Granger? Is there something that I can help you with?" the older man asked them as they sat in the chairs that he had conjured up for them. Harry decided that he would begin, seeing that Hermione was slightly uncomfortable about telling Dumbledore about everything that has happened so far.

"Professor, we needed to talk to you about something important. It has to do with Ron." the older man nodded, but said nothing. He conjured up some tea and crackers for the four of them and gestured for Harry to continue. "We may have some information that could help you and the Order find him."

"And what information would that be, Mr. Potter? Or should I ask Miss Granger that question?" Hermione jumped with his last question. She looked at the headmaster with a mixture of surprise and confusion.

"Me, Professor? Why would you ask me?" she squeaked as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She looked at the older man and his eyes told her that he knew something, possibly something that pertained to why they three friends were sitting in his office. Harry took this opportunity to continue, still sensing that Hermione didn't really want to say anything.

"I will explain as much as I can about this matter, but I will need Hermione to fill in some parts for me. Will you help me out with this story, 'Mione?" He looked at her and she nodded slowly in agreement. He took a deep breath and began to tell their headmaster about Hermione and Ron's dream sharing and the voice they both heard before Ginny was attacked. Hermione remained silent for most of Harry's explanation, but she knew that she would have to speak when he got to the most recent events.

"And then, the other night, Hermione had a dream about Ron and where he might be. Hermione, I think you should tell him about this." Hermione jumped at the sound of her name. She took a quick sip of her tea and nodded. She took a couple of deep breaths before picking up where Harry left off.

"When the dream first started, I was walking down a long corridor that never seemed to end. I remember hearing dripping water as I walked down the corridor. Then I heard a horrible scream." Hermione wiped the tears away from her face and then continued. "I knew that it was Ron and, even though I was scared, I ran towards his screams. Then I came to a locked door. I tried to magically unlock it, but it wouldn't open. I was so upset because I kept hearing him scream, but I couldn't get to him." By this time, Hermione was in tears. She buried her face in her hands and completely broke down. Ginny, who was sitting next to her, put a comforting arm around her and looked at Harry. Harry nodded, knowing what Ginny was thinking, and turned back to Dumbledore.

"What do you think this all means, Professor?" Ginny had asked the older man. Harry and Ginny noticed that Hermione did not mention the voice that she had heard, so neither of them decided to say anything, unless they felt that it was necessary. Dumbledore, however, knew that they were hiding something and he pressed the matter further.

"I cannot yet tell you what I think this all means. Not until you three tell me the rest of this story. I can see that you are keeping some information from me and in order to help, I need to know everything." The three of them just gaped at him, unknowing how he knew. He sensed their confusion and decided to answer their unasked questions. "You are probably wondering how I could tell you were leaving something out of your story, yes? Well, you see, I have known you three for quite some time now and I can tell when there is something bothering each one of you. Especially you, Miss Granger." Hermione gasped when she heard him say this. She went to say something, but Harry spoke first.

"I would have thought that you being very well trained in Legilimency would have told you that we were keeping something from you." Harry said to their headmaster, a little hint of anger in his voice. Professor Dumbledore lowered his eyes for a moment before looking back up at his students.

"I have never used Legilimency on another person for my own pleasure, Mr. Potter. You of all people should know this. Remember when the Chamber of Secrets was opened during your second year?" The mention of this event caused Ginny to shift uncomfortably in her seat. Harry put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her as he nodded to the headmaster. "I asked you if you had anything to tell me and you told me that you did not. If I had used my skills at Legilimency then, I would have known that you lied to me. Don't get me wrong, I knew anyway, but I was not going to force you to tell me something unless you were ready." Harry looked away from Dumbledore. He knew that Dumbledore would never do that.

"Then how did you know that we weren't being completely truthful, Professor?" Hermione asked him as she wiped away her tears. The older man smiled at her question.

"Has anyone ever told you that you are a bad liar, Miss Granger?" Hermione blushed at his words while Ginny and Harry both nodded their heads in agreement with what their elder had said. "I could see it in your eyes, Miss Granger, for they never lie. Now please tell me the rest of this story. I want Mr. Weasley to come home safe and sound just as much as you three do." Hermione nodded and looked at Harry and Ginny. They both nodded for her to finish the story. She took a deep breath and began to tell him what had happened after she came to the locked door.

"Well, after I came to the door and I couldn't open it, I started to cry. Then I heard the voice again. The same voice that Ron and I both heard right before Malfoy attacked Ginny," she paused there for a moment to take a sip of her tea. Dumbledore saw that it was hard for her to tell him this, but he urged her to continue. "The voice said: '_What you seek can only be found in your one and only love, Hermione. You must look inside yourself. It is the only way to save Ron.'_ I turned around and I saw…" Hermione broke off and looked at Harry. She had tears streaming down her face and she saw the pain in his eyes. Even though he told her the night before that he sometimes spoke with Sirius in his dreams, he was a little upset by what had happened to his best friend. He blinked back the tears that were starting to form in his eyes and nodded her to continue. She nodded back, understanding why he looked the way he did and she understood how he felt about this situation. "After I heard the voice, I turned around to see who had said it. That's when I saw Sirius. I don't understand what this all means or what Sirius is trying to tell me. But I do know that it obviously has something to do with Ron and myself. What do you think, Professor?" Dumbledore looked into Hermione's eyes and saw that she had told him everything that he needed to know. He smiled warmly at her and then looked at Harry, who was now staring out of the headmaster's window. Dumbledore cleared his throat and brought Harry out of his daze.

"Well, Miss Granger, this is definitely something to ponder. I have my reservations as to why this is happening to you and Ron. What I am going to tell you now is only my opinion. I will have to think about this matter further in order to give you a better answer. There is something that is happening between the four of you that Voldemort had never counted on. Part of what is happening has to do with the strong bond of friendship between Ron and you two," the headmaster said as he gestured towards Harry and Hermione. "Another part has to do with the love between Ron and yourself, Miss Granger." Hermione blushed a deep shade of red at his words. She didn't think that her and Ron's love for each other was so obvious. "And the last part of this has to do with the love between Mr. Potter and Miss Weasley." The moment Dumbledore said those last few words; both Harry and Ginny looked as if they had just seen a ghost. Hermione giggled at his words and they all looked at her. She suppressed her giggles and cleared her throat. Dumbledore smiled at all of this.

"But what does our friendship, the love between Ron and I, or the love between Harry and Ginny have to do with anything?" Hermione asked. Dumbledore looked at her, but said nothing. Then, it suddenly came to her and she gasped. Harry and Ginny looked at her with confused looks while Dumbledore just smiled at her. "The reason why this is all happening is because friendship and love are the two things that Voldemort has never understood or possessed. He has never had any real friends and has never loved or received love from another person before. That is why he couldn't kill Harry when he was a baby and that is why he took Ron. He is threatened not only by Harry's power against him, but by the power of all four of us together. And I'll bet that is why Malfoy attacked Ginny," she finished, very proud of herself for coming up with that theory. Dumbledore smiled widely at her.

"That is why you are the smartest witch of the age, Miss Granger. From the moment I laid eyes on you six and a half years ago, I knew that I would see great things from you. Just in the way that you carried yourself spoke volumes." Hermione blushed so hard that she had to hide her face from the embarrassing words that were just bestowed upon her. "I am proud, but not surprised, that you worked that out all by yourself. Do you remember the prophecy, Harry?" Harry nodded. How could he forget it? It haunted his dreams for many nights. "The prophecy spoke of you possessing a power that Voldemort doesn't know of and that will help you defeat him." After he said this, Hermione's eyes grew wide and she let a small gasp escape from her lips. Dumbledore looked at her in amusement. "I see Miss Granger has come to another conclusion."

"That's it, isn't it Professor? That is the power unknown to Voldemort. The unknown power is me, Ron and Ginny. Our relationship between each of us, no matter what kind, is very powerful. Whether it is our strong friendship with each other, the love shared between Ron and me, or the love shared between Harry and Ginny. If it is all combined, then it will be too powerful for Voldemort to stop." Suddenly, it dawned on Ginny what Hermione was saying.

"Which means that it isn't Harry alone who must face him, but all four of us? Since we are the unknown power, then we have to fight with Harry to defeat Voldemort." Dumbledore smiled at her and nodded in agreement. Harry looked at Ginny in amazement, for he had never heard her say his actual name before, even though she stopped flinching at it a long time ago. "But does that mean that he is aware of this power? Since he tried to get me out of the way and now he has Ron?" Dumbledore nodded his head while he wore a grave expression.

"Unfortunately, he has only recently become aware of this. It was only just before you were attacked that he must have figured it out. He always thought to go after Harry's friends and loved ones because it would weaken him. But he only just realized that Ron, Miss Granger and yourself are more important in the big picture," he said to Ginny.

"So what can we do to help Ron? If anything happens to him, I will never forgive myself." Harry said for the first time in a while.

Dumbledore told him that he was not to blame or this in anyway and that no one blamed him for what happened. He assured Harry that he would send out the Order to look for places that Hermione had dreamed about. He also told Hermione that if she were to have another dream to come tell him immediately. He told them that they could have the rest of the day off to take in and reflect upon everything that they had discussed during their meeting. He told them that he would let all of their professors know that they would not be there and that he would have their homework sent up to their dormitories. The three nodded and stood up. Dumbledore looked at the three of them and smiled. He knew that the three of them and Ron would do great things for both the wizarding word and the Muggle world. He bid them farewell and they left his office.

When they got to the corridor, Harry pulled them both into a very tight hug. Although very surprised by his actions, both girls returned his hug. After they broke apart, he realized that they were both confused as to why he hugged them the way he did.

"I just wanted to tell you both, and I will tell Ron when he comes home, that I am so glad that you have stuck by me through all of this. I know that what you just learned in Dumbledore's office was a shock and I will understand if you wish to keep your distance…"

"Harry James Potter! How dare you say such a thing! You know very well that neither I nor Ron nor Ginny has ever left your side before and we are certainly _not_ going to do it now, especially now that we are needed more than ever. I can't believe you would say such a thing." Hermione told him while Ginny was nodding in agreement. Harry knew that these two plus Ron were his very best friends in the world and that he was lucky to have them. He smiled warmly at the two of them.

"Why don't we go down to the Great Hall and get some food before everyone else gets there," he asked his two companions. They both nodded in agreement and they turned to go towards the Great Hall. Harry took Ginny's hand as they walked. She blushed slightly and smiled at him. He smiled in return as they continued down the corridor. Hermione noticed her friends' interaction with each other and smiled to herself. See them made her very happy that they have finally found each other, but it also mad her miss Ron even more. She sighed and kept walking until they reached the Great Hall.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

A Different Kind of Dream

Harry, Hermione and Ginny spent the rest of their free day together doing various things around the school grounds. After they grabbed a quick bite from the Great Hall, they went down to the Quidditch pitch. Harry and Ginny were surprised that Hermione did not want to do any homework that day, but they were even more shocked when she asked them if they wanted to go flying. They both knew that Hermione hated to fly, but they agreed anyway. Once they got back to the pitch after getting brooms, Hermione asked Harry and Ginny to teach her to fly. After they were in the air, Hermione found that flying was rather easy and she couldn't wait for Ron to come home so that they could go flying together.

After a couple of hours, the three friends went back to the castle. They stopped in the Great Hall for a bit of lunch before returning to the Gryffindor Common Room. Ginny settled down in one of the comfy chairs to read a book of Muggle poetry while Harry and Hermione played a game of chess. After the game ended, (Hermione surprisingly won) Hermione surprised Harry and Ginny again by asking them to explain Quidditch to her. She told them that she wanted to understand why everyone thought it was such a great sport. They agreed to explain as best as possible. Hermione suggested that they go into her room to talk since the other students would be returning from their classes soon. They sat in her room for a few hours talking about Quidditch when there was a knock at the door. Ginny opened it to find Dobby holding a large silver tray.

"Dobby is being sent by Dumbledore to bring you dinner. He is saying that you would not be wanting to eat with everyone else. He is asking Dobby to bring this to you," he told them as he held up the tray proudly. He placed the tray on Hermione's desk and then handed a small bell to Harry. "When you is finished, ring this bell and I will be coming back for the tray." The three friends thanked him as he bowed before leaving the room. The three friends ate until they couldn't eat anymore while they continued to talk about various things.

They all finally decided to go to bed. Harry and Ginny said their goodnights and left the room. Hermione had just changed into her nightgown when she realized that they never rang the bell for Dobby to come back and get the empty tray of food. She picked up the tiny bell and rang it. A few minutes later, Dobby appeared and picked up the tray.

"Where is Harry Potter and Miss Weezy?" he asked her when he realized that she was the only one in the room.

"They went to bed, Dobby." Dobby was about to leave when he turned around to speak to Hermione.

"You is missing your Weezy very much, aren't you?" he asked her softly. She looked at him with painful eyes and nodded her head. "Do not be worrying. Your love for your Weezy will survive and it will be saving us all. Good night, Miss," he told her as he left the room. Hermione just stared after him with a surprised and confused look on her face.

She crawled into her bed still thinking about what Dobby had said. _What did he mean by that? Does he know something? Did Dumbledore say something to or around him?_She rolled over to try and get some sleep, but her eyes rested on the picture of her and Ron that she kept on her bedside table. It was a picture taken last Christmas at the burrow. The two of them were smiling and waving furiously at her. Her eyes began to water as she thought about him. _Please come home to me. Sirius, if you can hear me, please help me. Give me the strength to save him. Give me hope that he is all right._ As a single tear slid down her face, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

_Hermione found herself standing in a cemetery. She had no knowledge of where she was, for she had never been there before. She saw a town beyond the cemetery with lights on so she decided to head in that direction to see if she could find out where she was. As she passed the headstones, she read the names in hope of seeing a familiar surname. Unfortunately, she did not recognize any of the names. She walked a little further and then she spotted someone standing in front of a headstone. As she neared the person, she saw that she was a girl no older than she was. The girl had long dark brown hair and she didn't look like she was from the area. She thought that the girl looked familiar, but she could not place her. Hermione thought that she looked Asian, but she had lighter skin than most Asians did. She also noticed that the girl was wearing dark robes that looked very familiar. When she reached the girl, she saw a look of terror upon her face. When Hermione looked at what the girl was staring at, she screamed._

Hermione sat straight up in her bed. _That was a very strange dream. _The dream wasn't about Ron, but Hermione knew that it was important somehow. She looked at her clock and it read 4:45 am. She quickly threw her robe on and ran out f her room. She went to Harry's room first and then to Ginny's. She told them both to meet her in the common room. After the three of them were seated by the fire in the common room, Hermione told them about the dream she had. She told them about where she was and the girl she saw. When she told them what she saw on the headstone, Harry and Ginny gasped. She told them both that she didn't understand this dream at all and that she had no idea what it meant. She did tell them that she knew that the dream had something to do with Ron. Hermione stood up and began walking towards the portrait hole.

"Where are you going?" Ginny asked her as Harry followed her.

"I'm going to Dumbledore's office. I promised him yesterday morning that I would tell him immediately if I had any other dreams. Even though I do not know what this dream means, he might. Are you guys coming with me?" she asked them. Harry was already by her side when she asked the question, so Ginny agreed and followed them out of the portrait hole.

When they got to the entrance to Dumbledore's office, they found that the staircase was already revealed. They ascended the stairs to the headmaster's office. Before they could even knock, the door opened to reveal Dumbledore waiting for them with tea and crackers already prepared.

"I was told that you were coming by one of my more faithful friends," he explained when he saw their bewildered faces. He gestured for them to sit in the chairs that were waiting for them and they obliged. "Do you have more information for me, Miss Granger?" he asked her. She nodded as she took a teacup from the small tray that rested on his desk.

"I had another dream, Professor. Only this one was different from the last. This time I was in a cemetery. I had never been there before and none of it looked familiar to me. Even the names on the headstones didn't seem familiar to me. I noticed a town not too far away, so I began walking towards it, hoping to find out where I was. As I walked, I saw a person standing in front of a headstone. When I reached her, she had a look of terror on her face. Then I saw what she was looking at and I screamed. That's when I woke up."

"What did the girl look like, Miss Granger?" he asked after he had taken a sip of his tea.

"She was slightly taller that me with long dark brown hair. I want to say that she was Asian, but she had fairly white skin. She looked very familiar to me, but I'm almost positive that I have never seen her before. And she was wearing dark robes. They looked sort of like the ones that we are required to wear here," she told him.

"And what did you see written upon the headstone that made you scream?" he asked her softly. Hermione took a sip of tea before answering this question.

"The headstone said Riddle, Professor," she told him. The moment she said that, Dumbledore went to his fireplace.

"Who do you think he's calling?" Harry asked his companions.

"Probably members of the Order," Ginny said.

"Or maybe your parents." Hermione said softly. Ginny looked at her best friend with sympathetic eyes. Even though Ron was her brother, Ginny knew that it tore Hermione up inside that he was missing. She felt bad for her friend. She couldn't imagine how she would be feeling if it were Harry who was missing. Ginny put a hand on Hermione's shoulder to comfort her.

"I wish to thank you for this new information, Miss Granger. The location that you spoke of was Little Hangleton. I do not know if you three are aware, but that is where Voldemort's family lived before they unexpectedly died. I have just sent a few members from the Order to look around the area to see if there are any signs of Death Eaters or this girl that you spoke of. Can you remember anything else that might be helpful, Miss Granger?" she shook her head in response. "Then I would suggest that you three go back to your dormitory until it is time for breakfast. If I receive any new information, I will inform you immediately. Thank you." The three friends nodded as they stood up and headed for the door. They made their way back to their dormitory as the sun rose. They all knew that there was no hope of going back to sleep, so they went back to the dormitory and just relax until breakfast. Harry had begun to tell Ginny and Hermione about the dream that he had had that night about Sirius as they walked back to their dormitory. He wouldn't get to finish the story because as they rounded a corner, Hermione collided with someone and they both fell to the ground. She looked at who she had knock over and gasped at the site she saw.

The person who was directly in front of her on the floor had long dark brown hair and she was of Asian heritage, but with light skin. She was the girl from Hermione's dream.

"You!" they both cried in unison.


	14. Chapter 14

6

Chapter 14

The Return

"You!" they both cried in unison.

Both the girl and Hermione stood up and stared at the other. The girl had a look of terror on her face, the same look that Hermione saw in her dream. Harry and Ginny wore identical looks of confusion.

"What's going on?" Ginny asked as she noticed Hermione's expression.

"Who is she?" Harry asked. Hermione was speechless as she continued to stare at the girl.

"You saw it, didn't you?" the girl asked Hermione. Hermione gave her a confused look. "The name on the headstone. Did you see it?" the girl asked. Hermione's eyes widened as she nodded to the girl.

"Whoa, wait a minute. What's going on here? Hermione, is this the girl from your dream?" Harry's mouth dropped and Ginny gasped when Hermione nodded her head to his question. The girl stood there, frozen in her spot, looking at the three friends.

"How did you know about that?" Hermione asked the girl. The girl just looked at her. "How did you know about the headstone?" The girl was about to answer Hermione's question, but was interrupted when Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall appeared. "Professor Dumbledore, this is the girl from my dream," Hermione told the headmaster. He looked at Hermione and then at the girl, who shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Miss Tom, can I ask you why Miss Granger is telling me that you may have some information that may be useful in finding Mr. Weasley?" the older man asked the young girl.

"Yes sir," she said with a small voice. "Last night, I had a dream that I was in a cemetery. I was standing in front of a headstone that said Riddle. I knew whose grave it was, but I didn't understand why I was dreaming this. Then a girl appeared. When she approached me and saw what I was looking at, she screamed," she told them softly while she stared at the floor. She could feel every pair of eyes on her, but she didn't want to look at anyone.

"Was there anything else? Or did your dream end there just as Miss Granger's did, Miss Tom?" he asked her. She shook her head.

"No sir. There was more to my dream than that," she responded. He gave her a nod and she continued to explain her dream. "After she screamed, she disappeared. I assume that is when she woke up. After she disappeared, I saw a couple of cloaked figures coming towards me. I quickly ducked behind the nearest headstone. I overheard them talking and I heard one of them mention Harry's name and the other mentioned Ron's name. Then I heard one of them mutter some kind of spell that was followed by a sound that reminded me of something heavy being moved. After a few moments, I peeked out from behind the headstone that I was hiding behind and they were gone. That's when I woke up. I was just on my way down to breakfast when I bumped into them," she told the headmaster as she gestured towards Harry, Ginny and Hermione.

"Are you certain of this, Miss Tom?" The girl nodded to his question. "I want the four of you to return to Gryffindor Tower immediately and stay there until I send for you. Since none of you have had breakfast yet, I will have Dobby bring you some food. Good day," he said to them as he swept past them, with McGonagall following closely behind.

The four students walked in silence for a little while as they made their way back to Gryffindor Tower. Finally, Harry couldn't take the silence any longer. He had too many thoughts and questions running through his head.

"I don't mean to be rude or anything, but who are you? I've never seen you around before. Are you new?" he asked the mystery girl. All four of the students stopped walking and Hermione and Ginny also looked at the girl, waiting for her to answer Harry's question.

"My name is Shantell Tom. The reason why you have never seen me before is because I am new here. My family moved to London a week ago from Hawaii. My dad worked for the American version of your Ministry of Magic, but was transferred here. He works for the Department of Magical Transportation. My mom is a Muggle doctor and she just started working at the Muggle hospital in London. I was enrolled here only two days ago. I was sorted into Gryffindor and I am in my sixth year," she told them.

"I've seen you in a couple of my classes. It's nice to meet you. But there is one thing that I do not understand. How did you dream what you did?" Ginny asked

"This is going to sound bizarre since I don't know any of you and none of you know me. But my mother was related to Tom Riddle's father. They were sixth cousins or something like that," she explained. Harry, Ginny, and Hermione gasped in surprise. Shantell thought that they would not want to talk to her anymore because of what she had just told them. "Listen, I'm sorry that I bumped into you, Hermione," she said as she started to walk away from them.

"Wait for us, Shantell. We have to go back to the common room too," Hermione told her as she ran to catch up with her. Shantell smiled as Ginny and Harry began walking towards her. The four students entered their deserted common room to find Dobby waiting for them with a large platter of food. The four of them sat down and ate while Shantell told them some more about herself. The longer she talked, the more the liked her. Harry, Ginny and Hermione decided that it didn't matter that she was related to Voldemort. They knew that it had nothing to do with her or the kind of person she was.

Not too long after they had finished their breakfast, Professor McGonagall entered the common room. They all noticed that se was wearing a big smile on her face.

"You must all go to the headmaster's office immediately. He is expecting you," she told them happily.

"But what about our classes, Professor?" Shantell asked. McGonagall told her that they were all excused for the rest of the morning, but that they would have to go to their afternoon classes. Both Hermione and Shantell were disappointed about missing more classes, but perked up a little bit when they heard that they would be able to go to their afternoon classes. McGonagall assured them that missing their current classes would be well worth it.

The four students walked to the headmaster's office while they talked about how happy McGonagall looked when she had entered the common room.

"I've never seen McGonagall look so happy. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen her smile." Shantell said quietly.

"Neither have we and we've known her for a lot longer than you have," Hermione said to her.

"Don't get me wrong, I've seen her smile before, but not very often," Ginny added. When they reached the headmaster's office, they saw something that they never expected to see.

"Ron!!!!" Hermione shrieked as she threw her arms around her boyfriend. Ginny and Harry also threw their arms around him. Shantell remained by the door, for she felt that she should not partake in the hug, even though she was happy that Ron returned safely. After Harry, Ginny and finally Hermione let him go, Ron walked up to Shantell and stuck his hand out to her.

"Thank you," he said to her. She was totally confused by this. Seeing her confusion, he explained why he was thanking her. "I want to thank you for telling Professor Dumbledore about your dream. It was because of what you told them that enabled them to find me. The visions that I sent Hermione in her dreams were not enough to do it, but it was all I knew. I had only seen the cemetery and the long corridor with the locked door. It was you who showed her the name on the headstone with Voldemort's family name on it. And it was you who gave Dumbledore the information that there was some sort of passageway from the cemetery to where I was. I thank you more that I could ever show you and I am forever in your debt. I would take it as a personal insult if you don't join our circle of friends," he said to a now crying Shantell.

Hermione walked up to where Ron and Shantell stood and took his hand in hers. Then she placed her other hand on Shantell's shoulder. "I am also forever in your debt for bringing him home," she told Shantell. Harry and Ginny also walked up to her and placed their hands on top of Hermione's hand. Shantell smiled at all four of them. Dumbledore, who had witnessed this encounter, smiled widely at all five of them. He knew the dangers that awaited Shantell for helping them find Ron and he knew that these four students would look out for their new friend. He cleared his throat and all five students turned to look at their headmaster.

"It is about that time for dinner. You five can either go and join the rest of the school in the Great Hall or you can stay here and eat. That is entirely up to you. Before you decide, I must give Mr. Weasley his options for the rest of the term. You can either excuse yourself from the work that you missed so far and continue with where your classes are so far, or you can take the work from your professors and do the assignments on top of your current work." Ron's face brightened when he heard this. He was about to answer the headmaster's question but was silenced by the headmaster's hand. "However, if you decide to excuse yourself from the work you have missed, you will have to do it over the summer and then take your N.E.W.T.'s after you have completed your classes. Consider it a type of summer school," the headmaster told him. Ron's face fell when he heard this. Hermione squeezed his hand and nodded at him to make a decision.

"I choose to take the work now. If there are two things that definitely do not go together, it's summer and school. Besides, Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Shantell will help me if I need it," he said with a smile. His four friends all smiled at him and nodded their heads in agreement.

"Since that is settled, where would you five prefer to eat your supper?" he asked his students. The five of them decided to eat with everyone else in the Great Hall. "Very well. I shall see you all there," he told them as he swept past them out of his office.

The five friends made their way slowly down to the Great Hall. Just before they got there, Hermione remembered that Harry was in the middle of telling them about a dream he had about Sirius before they had bumped into Shantell.

"Harry, what was that dream you had started to tell us about before we bumped into Shantell?" Hermione asked him.

"Well, I had a dream about Sirius last night. We were sitting in front of the fire at Grimmauld Place and we were talking about everything that had happened so far. He was actually in the middle of telling me that someone new was going to enter the picture, for a good reason, and that they were going to help you find Ron. He told me that this person would end up in great danger if they helped us. He never told me the person's name because you had woken me up before I got to that part," he said to Hermione, who had wide eyes.

"Do you think he was referring to Shantell?" Ginny asked him. He nodded his head in response.

"So does that mean that he is going to come after me now?" Shantell asked as fear began to show in her face.

"Don't worry, Shantell. If he even thinks about coming after you, we will protect you," Ron told her. "I told you that I was forever in your debt and I will protect you from Voldemort," he told her. Hermione, Harry and Ginny all nodded in agreement. She thanked all of them and they walked the rest of the way to the Great Hall. When they entered the Great Hall, they were met with silence.

I hope that this chapter was long enough. And I hope that everyone liked my new character. (Hint, hint Psychofreak.)

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this story will be coming to a close very soon. I have one more chapter to write before I end it. Please do not worry though. There is a sequel in the works…once I figure out a story title and a plot (which I think I have).

Keep Reading

I want to thank everyone for their great reviews so far.

And

- Jen

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	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Since this is the last chapter of this story, I decided to make it slightly longer than the others. I hope that you all enjoy it and PLEASE leave me a review.

Chapter 15

The Final Good-Bye

As the five friends entered the Great Hall, silence surrounded them. It wasn't until Professor Dumbledore stood up and began clapping that the silence was broken. Everyone, with the exception of the Slytherin table, clapped as they made their way towards the Gryffindor table. After they had taken their seats, Dumbledore held up his hand for silence and cleared his throat.

"What a joyous occasion this is. I am happy, as I see so many others are as well, to welcome Mr. Weasley back to school. I would like to extend thanks to Miss Hermione Granger for her help and I would also like to thank and introduce Miss Hoku Tom for her help in this matter. Miss Tom came to us a couple of days ago from Hawaii, which is in the United States. She is a sixth year and was privately sorted into Gryffindor when she arrived. Thank you both and welcome back Mr. Weasley." The headmaster raised his glass to them, his eyes twinkling. The rest of the staff and most of the students followed suit.

At the Gryffindor table, Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron introduced Hoku to everyone. Hoku blushed slightly when she was introduced to Neville, but tried to hide it. Hermione noticed it and decided to inquire about it. She leaned closer to her new friend, that way no one else would hear her question.

"I saw that, Hoku. Do you have a thing for Neville?" she asked her. Hoku blushed at her question and shrugged her shoulders. The look on Hoku's face was enough to give Hermione the answer she hoped for. "That's so cute. Let me know if you want help with him. I would be more than happy to help you out," Hermione told her. Hoku nodded, but didn't say anything.

As dinner ended and everyone returned to their common room, Hoku pulled Hermione aside and told her that she wanted to talk with her and Ginny when they got back to the common room. Hermione asked her if it had anything to do with a certain seventh year Gryffindor and Hoku just smiled. Hermione squealed with delight and grabbed Ginny's arm and pulled her away from Harry so that she could tell her what Hoku had just told her. Ginny's eyes went wide and a huge smile appeared on her face.

Once they got back to the common room, the girls went up to Hermione's room so that they could talk about setting Hoku up with Neville. After they had left, Harry and Ron pulled Neville aside. Harry had noticed Hoku's expression when she was introduced to Neville and Ron had noticed Neville's expression when he was introduced to her.

"I couldn't help but notice the look on your face when we introduced you to Hoku at dinner, Neville," Ron said to him. Neville blushed even harder than he did at dinner.

"Well, I...I...I think she's pretty," he stammered as his face got even redder. "But it's not like she would ever wanna go out with me. I'm too stupid," he said gloomily.

"Neville you are not stupid! Sure, you mess up in Potions, but that's only because you're scared of Professor Snape. And the reason why you don't do well in your other classes, with the exception of Herbology of course, is because you don't have enough confidence in yourself. If you believed in yourself more, you could do great things," Harry told him. Neville smiled at Harry's words. "And I believe that you have a good chance with her, judging by the color of her face when she first met you," he told him in a matter-of-fact tone. Neville's eyes brightened when Harry told him this.

"Really? You think so?" he asked. Harry and Ron nodded.

"Yes I do. And if I know my sister and my girlfriend, they are talking to Hoku about you right now," Ron told him.

"What?! I can't believe they would do that to me. I wish that they would have talked to me before saying anything to her," Neville said to them.

"Why? It's not like they are going to tell her that you are madly in love with her. They don't even know that you like her. They wouldn't say that you did if they didn't know for sure. They are probably just trying to get her to say something to you about it," Ron told him. Ron knew that Hermione and Ginny wouldn't tell Hoku anything that would upset or embarrass Neville.

Neville didn't seem to share Ron and Harry's optimism. He knew that he was worse with girls than he was in Potions. He sighed heavily and headed towards the stairs.

"I'm gonna go get my books and then go to the library to study for my N.E.W.T.'s. I'll catch up with you guys later," he told them as he ascended the stairs. Harry and Ron both shrugged their shoulders and settled into a game of wizard' chess. Not long after that, Neville past them and exited the common room.

MEANWHILE

The three girls had settled themselves in Hermione's room. Hermione was excited for both Hoku and Neville. She and Ginny both knew that Neville had not had a single girlfriend during his seven years at Hogwarts.

"Okay, Hoku. Spill it. What was with the look at dinner? Do you like Neville or what?" Hermione asked with excitement clearly in her voice. Ginny leaned forward, waiting for Hoku to respond.

"Yes I do," she answered as her face turned a deep shade of red. Hermione and Ginny squealed with delight. They were excited that they would be able to play matchmaker.

"So does this mean that you want to be his girlfriend?" Ginny asked happily.

"I would, but it would never happen. You guys are graduating soon and I'll never see him again," she told them sadly. Hermione and Ginny exchanged glances of confusion. They didn't understand why it mattered if they were graduating soon.

"That shouldn't matter, Hoku. I still have another year left here and Harry is graduating in a few weeks," Ginny told her.

"Yeah, but you've known Harry for a long time. I've only known Neville for a few hours and I have only said one word to him so far. Who am I kidding?" she said as she got up and walked over to the door. "I'm gonna go to the library to study. I'll see you guys later," she mumbled as she left the room. Hermione and Ginny exchanged confused looks as they watched her leave. The two girls decided to return to the common room to see if the guys were still there.

Back in the common room, Harry and Ron were playing chess when Hoku passed by them and exited the common room. The boys looked at their girlfriends, who had just entered the common room, with confused looks.

"What's wrong with her?" Ron asked the girls as they sat down at the table the boys were sitting at.

"Well, she likes this guy, but she thinks that she doesn't have a chance with him," Hermione told them as she caught Ginny's eye.

"That guy wouldn't happen to be Neville Longbottom now, would it?" Harry asked them/ Hermione's eyes widened and Ginny gasped in surprise.

"How did you know about that?" Ginny asked them. Both Harry and Ron smiled.

"Because we talked to Neville a little while ago, and because we saw both of their reactions to the other when they were introduced to each other," Ron explained to them.

"Merlin's beard! What did he say?" Ginny asked.

"Well, he thinks that she's pretty, but he doesn't think that she would ever want to go out with him because he's too stupid," Harry told tem.

"He's not stupid!" Hermione cried.

"We know that, Hermione. That's what we told him," Ron told them.

"And then he sulked to the library," Harry said.

"He went to the library?" Ginny asked as a smile crept onto her face. Ron nodded and both he and Harry gave her a confused look. "That so funny because that's where Hoku went off to." Ron laughed at this and Harry raised his eyebrows.

"That should be interesting. So what did Hoku say about Neville?" Harry asked.

"Well, she doesn't think that she would ever be able to go out with Neville. She said something along the lines of him graduating soon and not knowing him very long. She's afraid that after he graduates, she'll never see him again so there would be no point of dating him. That's when she said that she was going to the library to study," Ginny told them. Harry had a thoughtful look on his face. "What are you thinking Harry?" Ginny asked him.

"Actually, I was wondering if we should help them out. You know, kind of like what we did for Ron and Hermione," he told his girlfriend.

"Well, it wouldn't be exactly the way it was when we tried to get Ron and Hermione together. At least with them we were dealing with years of attraction," Ginny said to him.

"Excuse me. Ron and I are still here you know," Hermione said to them.

"Yeah, and this time, it won't be the same as when you two tried to get me and Hermione together because now you have the two of us to help you in your little scheme," Ron told them with Hermione nodding in agreement.

"I wonder how things are going in the library," Ginny said with a sly smile. Hermione, Ron and Harry laughed at her comment.

IN THE LIBRARY

When Hoku entered the library, she scanned the tables in hope of an empty one. All of them were full, with the exception of one table that had only one person sitting at it and their back was to her. She decided to go and ask them if it was okay for her to sit there.

"Excuse me, but would you mind if I sat with you?" she asked. She blushed hard when the person who looked up at her was Neville. He nodded his head and then leaned over his parchment so that she wouldn't see the blush that was creeping onto his face. She sat down and took out the books out that she would need to do her Herbology essay. As she worked, she noticed that Neville seemed to be having trouble with the work that he was doing.

"What are you working on, Neville?" she asked him as she leaned closer so that she didn't need to raise her voice.

"Potions, you?"

"Herbology; and I am having a bit of trouble with it," she told to him. Then she realized something. "You're good in Herbology. Will you help me with my essay? I'm pretty good in Potions; maybe I could help you with your essay. What do you say?" she asked him hopefully. He smiled at her and agreed. The two of them sat in the library for a couple of hours doing their work. They finally decided to call it quits for the night and continue their work the following day. As they walked back to Gryffindor Tower, they talked about all different types of things.

Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione were sitting by the fire when the two of them walked in. they were shocked when they saw Hoku and Neville came in together, laughing. They seemed to be more comfortable with each other now than they were at dinner.

"I'll talk to you later, Hoku," Neville said to her as he headed up the stairs. "Bye everyone."

"Bye Neville," they all replied in unison.

"So what was that all about? The last time I saw the two of you together, you could barely look at each other without blushing. What happened?" Hermione asked her.

"Nothing. I needed a place sit when I was in the library and it turned out that Neville was sitting by himself so I asked him if I could sit with him to do my work. While I was doing my essay, which I was having trouble with, I noticed that Neville was having trouble with the essay that he was doing. I offered to help him with his essay if he would help me with mine. That's all," she told them as she turned a slight shade of red.

"What essay did he help you with and what essay did you help him with?" Harry asked with raised eyebrows. He knew that Neville wasn't very good in most of his subjects so he was curious to know which class he helped her with.

"I helped him with his Potions essay and he helped me with my Herbology essay. I knew that he was quite good in Herbology and I have always had a knack for Potions. We are going to be working on finishing our essays tomorrow," she told them.

"So it's like a date then?" Hermione asked her with a smile.

"Well, I don't think he considered it a date and I think that it would be too presumptuous to think that it is," she said in a small voice.

"You two should go to the Graduation Ball together," Ginny told her, slightly changing the subject.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. He hasn't even asked me out on a regular date yet, let alone to the Graduation Ball and I can't ask him because it's not my ball to ask him to," she told them.

"We know, but we can always have him ask you-" Harry began.

"No, Harry! If he wants to ask me to the Graduation Ball, then he'll ask me. Don't try and make him. Because if that's the only way I'll get a date with Neville, then I don't want it. I just wouldn't feel right. If my friends have to force someone to ask me out, then it would defeat the whole concept of going on the date in the first place. I'll just wait and hope that he'll ask me," she told them.

At this point, none of them had seen Neville standing at the bottom of the stairs, listening to what they were saying. He couldn't believe that Hoku had said that she hoped that he would ask her to the Graduation Ball. He decided that he would ask her to go with him, just like she wanted him to.

"Well at least he knows that you want to go with him to the Graduation Ball. Maybe he'll ask you soon," Harry told her with a smirk on her face.

"How would he know that? I only told you guys just now that I wanted him to," she told him with confusion showing in her features.

"Because I'm standing right behind you," Neville said to her with a red face. She jumped when she heard his voice. Harry gave her a devilish grin as she turned around to face Neville. Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Harry laughed at the site. Both Neville and Hoku were as red as tomatoes.

Hoku, who looked extremely embarrassed, could only manage to say hello to Neville. As if taking their silent cues, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny decided to find themselves something to do so that they could let Neville and Hoku talk privately. As they left them alone, Neville and Hoku sat at the nearest table.

"Listen, I don't know what you heard, but-" she began.

"Wait. Before you say anything else, I want to tell you something. All my life, I've never been good at anything. I've never been the smartest or the brightest student and I usually have trouble with almost all of my classes. I'm usually picked on by a lot of people and I'm not very good at defending myself. But throughout the years, I have had the greatest friends who have stuck by me and defended me when no one else would and I probably wouldn't be the person I am today if it wasn't for them." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I have never been good when it came to girls and I'm still not. I have never had a girlfriend before and I've never even had a girl interested in me. But I do think that you are pretty and I would be honored if you would accompany me to the Graduation Ball," he said to her. She smiled through the tears that had started to fall down her face as he spoke to her.

"That was the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. Thank you, Neville. I would love to go with you to the Graduation Ball."

"And I know that I am graduating in a few weeks and you have another year here, but I would love to continue seeing you over the summer and even next year. I guess I'm trying to ask you not only go with me to the Graduation Ball, but if you would also be my girlfriend," he said to her as he turned red.

"I would love to. And I think we have an audience," she told him as she looked over his shoulder. He turned his head to see Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron each with a pair of Extendable Ears. They immediately pulled them out of their ears and smiled widely at their friends.

"So are you two a couple now?" Hermione asked them as their two friends rejoined them. Hoku smiled and Neville nodded his head proudly.

"Well now that that is settled, what do we do now?" Ron asked his companions.

"I'd say that it's time for bed. Since tomorrow is Saturday, we can do something fun," Hermione said to them. They all agreed and said their goodnights.

During the weekend, no one thought about their homework, not even Hermione or Hoku. Quidditch was over for the season so there was no game. (Gryffindor won ht e Quidditch Cup). The six friends went down to the pitch to do some flying. Upon noticing that Neville was not a very good flyer, Hoku offered to teach him. Ron was going to ask Hermione if she wanted him to teach her, but was completely surprised when she kicked off from the ground before he even had a chance to ask her.

The rest of the weekend was spent together. When the weekend had ended, it was back to the grueling days of classes and studying for their N.E.W.T.'s and final exams. Hermione had set up a schedule for all of them to study, with each of them tutoring the rest in the major subjects. Hermione would tutor Transfiguration, Harry and Ron would do Defense against the Dark Arts, Hoku would tutor the rest in Potions, Ginny would teach Charms and Neville would teach Herbology. If any of them were taking other classes, then they would study for those on their own. Everything worked out well for all of them under Hermione's schedule.

On the day of the Graduation Ball, a special Hogsmeade trip was scheduled so that anyone going could get any last minute things that were needed for the ball. The girls had gone to Hogsmeade to buy their dresses. After an hour of browsing, they had finally decided upon their dresses. They met up with the boys at the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer before going back up to the castle to get ready.

Harry, Ron and Neville were waiting for their girlfriends with Seamus and Dean, who were waiting for Parvati and Lavender. Finally, the girls made their entrance. Parvati and Lavender came down first. They met up with Dean and Seamus and left to go to the ball. Harry, Ron and Neville waited anxiously for their dates to come down stairs. When the girls finally came down, the boys were blown away by what they saw.

Ginny was wearing simple and elegant long black dress with spaghetti straps. It had a scoop neck and a low cut in the back. It fit her slender body perfectly, showing all of her curves. She was wearing a small string of pearls with matching earrings. She had pulled her hair halfway back with a beautiful clip and she had soft curls. She wore a little make-up.

Hermione was wearing a red spaghetti strap dress that only came up to her mid-thigh. She had a scoop neck and a low cut just like Ginny's dress did. Her dress was very form-fitting; it hugged her body in all the right spots. She was wearing the necklace that Ron had given her for Christmas and she wore very little make-up. Instead of straightening her hair like she had originally intended, she had pulled it back into a beautiful clip.

Hoku had chosen a dress of golden silk that had spaghetti straps. It had a v-neckline in the front and it was cut even lower than Hermione and Ginny's dresses. She had pulled her hair up into an elegant French twist, with several loose strands falling over her face. She wore no make-up, but she didn't need to.

The boys were speechless as the girls came down the stairs. None of them could think of something to say to the girls because they were in awe.

"Well, are you three planning on standing there all night trying to catch flies or are you going to tell us how we look?" Hermione asked them.

"You look stunning, dear. I didn't think that you could possibly be any more beautiful than you already are, but I stand corrected," Ron told her as he kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Ginny, you look absolutely beautiful. You've outdone yourself this time," Harry told her as his lips met hers.

"You…look…beautiful, Hoku," Neville told her. He was obviously nervous about taking such a beautiful woman to his last dance as a student at Hogwarts.

The three girls beamed at their boyfriends as they took their arms and headed out of the common room. They were the last to arrive to the dance, but every head turned to look at them when they entered. There were many gasped heard throughout the Great Hall, coming from both the boys and the girls.

To take the attention away from the six friends, Dumbledore cleared his throat and gave his speech. Once he had finished, the plates that were on the scattered tables were filled with all sorts of delicious foods. After everyone had eaten their fill, the food disappeared and the band began to play. The six friends danced and laughed throughout the night. When the dance had ended, they returned to Gryffindor Tower.

A few days later, Hermione, Ron, Harry and Neville took their N.E.W.T. exams. After that, graduation was only a few days away.

When the time came to leave Hogwarts, it was hard for everyone. No one really knew what they wanted to do after Hogwarts and they were all sad about leaving the place that they had called home for the last seven years of their life. The only one who knew exactly what they had wanted to do after school was Harry, who wanted to be an Auror. Even though they were not graduating, Ginny and Hoku were present for the ceremony. The entire Weasley clan, the Grangers and Neville's grandmother were all seated towards the front. After everyone had been seated, the headmaster walked up to the podium to give his speech.

"First and foremost, I would like to thank you all for joining us for this very special and memorable occasion. It has been an honor of mine to have met and gotten to know each and every one the individuals that are sitting here before me, getting ready to enter the world as fully grown and trained witches and wizards. You have all grown up before my eyes and it is with a heavy heart that we part ways here. I congratulate all of you on seven years well done." He stopped there to clap for each and every graduating student. He was joined by the friends and family members of those graduating. He then he held up his hand to silence the audience so that he could continue with his speech.

"I would also like to take this opportunity to tell you all that Professors McGonagall and Sprout will be retiring at the end of next year. They have agreed to remain here for next year in order to train their replacements. And it also seems that we are once again in need of a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I am telling you all this because I am going to be offering these positions to a few of the graduating students present in the room. It is with great joy to offer the Transfiguration position to Miss Hermione Granger." Hermione turned bright red but smiled as everyone clapped for her. It was clear that she was on the verge of tears. "I would also like to offer the Herbology position to Mr. Neville Longbottom." Harry could hear Neville's grandmother crying loudly. They knew that she was proud of him and that his parents would be proud of him as well. "I would like to take this quick moment to announce that Mr. Harry Potter has been accepted into the Auror Training Program and will be leaving in a few weeks." Harry beamed at the words that the headmaster had just said. Harry didn't even know that he had been accepted into the program. He was so happy. "And finally, I would like to offer the hopefully permanent Defense Against the Dark Arts position to Mr. Ronald Weasley." At that moment, you couldn't tell where Ron's face ended and where his hair began. Mrs. Weasley could be heard crying over the clapping.

"Congratulations to you all and good luck with your futures," the old man said to the graduates as they rose from their seats to meet up with their families. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville were quickly surrounded by their families, who were offering them their congratulations about their graduation and their job offers. Professor Dumbledore approached them and told Hermione, Ron and Neville to think about the job offers given to them and to owl him with their responses by the end of the following week so that he could make the proper preparations.

Once the ceremony came to an end, the six friends made their way back up to Gryffindor Tower so that Harry, Hermione, Ron and Neville could pack their trunks and get ready to leave Hogwarts for the last time as students.

It was very emotional time for all of them, especially Ginny and Hoku because they had to remain a Hogwarts for another two weeks before their summer would officially begin.

After they finished packing and saying their goodbyes, they brought their luggage down to the main doors. The carriages were waiting to bring them to Hogsmeade station, where they would ride the Hogwarts Express home for the last time.

Not too far away from there, two hooded figures stood side by side, overlooking the carriages that were making their way towards Hogsmeade station.

"Shall we attack them now, my Lord?" one of the figures asked.

"Not yet. We must wait a little longer," the other figure hissed as the Hogwarts Express left the station.

THE END

What an ending, huh? I'm glad that you all chose to read my first fanfic and I am glad that some of you decided to be kind and leave me reviews. There will be a sequel, but I am not sure when I will be posting it. I am currently in the process of writing a completely separate fanfic and I should be posting it soon. If you liked this story, then you will like my other ones. Please check them out and I hope to get a review from you.

Thanks for reading!

- Jen


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